March 30, 2023

atholic Spirit C

Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Father Guiseppe Maria Siniscalchi holds a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament on the first of three nights of the diocese's Lenten Mission at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen. Attendees were invited to the communion rail to place their needs or the needs of others for healing before the Lord. See story pages 10-11.

John Batkowski photo

Easter is a grace-filled time when Jesus turns grief in our hearts into joy

fully proclaim Jesus Christ’s rising from the dead. We exult in the Resurrection because we know “His Death is our ransom from death, and in His rising the life of all has risen” (Preface II of Easter). Alleluia!

From the Proclamation sung at the Easter Vigil

We will soon join our voices together again to witness that our Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Yes, with our brother and sister Christians around the world we joy-

During this grace-filled time in the midst of our National Eucharistic Revival, let us all share the joy of both the women at the tomb and the Apostles in the upper room. For both, elation replaces any grief. Jesus was again with them, as He is with us, especially in the Eucharist. The reassurance He gave His followers, “I am with you always,” is promised to us today as much as it was to them so long ago. As the song says, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!” Jesus wants to turn any grief in our hearts and lives into joy too, if we just go to the tomb, or be with Him in the upper room.

As we enter the Passion or Palm

Sunday and then Holy Week this year, let us resolve to faithfully and prayerfully join with Jesus throughout this week, cooperate with God's graces and believe His promises. What we will experience this week is Jesus pouring out His life for us. Let us take to heart our need to be still and quiet, even for just a short time each day, spending a few moments meditating, reading the events of the week in our Bibles and reflecting on Jesus and His passion throughout this week. All that He suffered was just for you. Yes, His suffering was for the whole world, but for each of us, too. If you were the only person in the world, St. Augustine wrote, He still would have suffered and died for you. Truly, my brothers and sisters in Christ, this is a love to which we must respond.

Then this Easter, not just for the day or the Octave but for the whole season, we

will receive the Easter promise of hope and love, sharing them as we gather with family and friends, inviting them to come closer to Christ, too, especially in the Eucharist where Jesus always awaits us in love.

May each of you and your loved ones have a blessed Holy Week and Easter, too! Know of my love, prayers, and gratitude for you and that I will ask our Risen Lord to bless you and your family at the Mass of the Lord’s Resurrection on Easter! Please remember me in your prayers as well.

Most Reverend James F. Checchio JCD, MBA Bishop of Metuchen

Pope says Jesus asks that no one be excluded from his table

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Catholic Church is not selective: each one of its members is a sinner and part of the holy, faithful people of God, Pope Francis said in an interview marking his 10 years as pope.

Vatican News March 10 published excerpts of the interview with RSI, a Swiss radio-television broadcasting in Italian.

Responding to why some people feel excluded from the Church, the pope said, "Sin is always there. There are men of the C hurch, women of the Church who create this distance.

"There is a bit of the vanity of the world, feeling more righteous than others, but it is not right," he said. "We are all sinners. At the hour of truth put your truth on the table and you will see that you are a sinner."

When Jesus asks that everyone be brought to his table, "it means that no one is excluded," the pope said.

"When the guests did not come to

the feast, he said go into the main roads and invite to the banquet whomever you find: the sick, the good and the bad, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, everyone," he said.

"We must not forget this: the church is not a home for some, it is not selective," the pope said. "The holy, faithful people of God are this: everyone."

When asked how much he has changed since his election March 13, 2013, he responded, "I am old. I have less physical endurance, the knee injury was a physical humiliation, although it is healing well now." He said he felt "a bit ashamed" having to use a wheelchair.

The thing he misses most from the time before he was elected pope is "walking, going down the street. I used to walk a lot. I used to catch the underground, the bus, always with people."

When asked what a pope "from the ends of the earth" brings to the papacy, he pointed to the late Argentine philosopher, Amelia Podetti, who said that "reality is

better seen from the extremes than from the center. One understands universality from a distance."

Speaking about the problem of war and conflict in the world, he said a third world war is underway. "It started in bits and pieces and now no one can say it is not worldwide. The great powers are all caught up in it. The battlefield is Ukraine. Everyone is fighting there."

Asked what he would say if he were able to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said, "I would speak to him as clearly as I speak in public. He is an educated man."

The pope explained how the day after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, "I went to the Russian embassy to the Holy See to say that I was willing to go to Moscow if Putin would give me a window to negotiate." Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, "wrote to me saying thank you but now is not the time."

"Putin knows I am available. But there are imperial interests there, not only of the Russian empire, but of empires elsewhere," he said. "It is typical of the empire to put nations in second place."

sor, Pope Benedict XVI, who died Dec. 31, 2022, and spoke about how good it was to have him nearby.

"I would ask for his opinion. He would tell me what he thought; he was always balanced, positive, a wise man," he said.

He said liturgists in charge of papal ceremonies faced a real challenge in organizing "the funeral of a non-reigning pope. It was difficult" to find ways in the Mass to honor the retired pope while making clear he was no longer in office.

The pope has repeatedly said he does not plan on resigning any time soon, but when asked what would lead him to step down, he responded that it would be the kind of fatigue that "does not make you see things clearly. A lack of clarity, of knowing how to evaluate situations. A physical problem, too, perhaps."

He said he always asks people who know him well and "even some intelligent cardinals" for their advice about "How are things going? Do you think I should. … And they tell me the truth: 'Carry on, it is fine.' But please: give me a shout in time."

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The conflicts in Yemen and Syria and what is happening to "the poor Rohingyas in Myanmar" are also close to the pope's heart. "Why this suffering? Wars hurt. There is no spirit of God. I don't believe in holy wars."

Pope Francis praised his predeces-

When asked why he always asks people to pray for him, he said he believes everyone prays, but if they are not religious and don't pray then he asks they "send me good vibes."

This idea of sending "good vibes," he said, "it is a pagan way of praying, but it is a loving way. And to love someone is a prayer."

Bishop’s Appointments

Bishop James F. Checchio has announced the following appointments.

Father Yong Bum (John) Lee, has been appointed administrator of Our Lady of Mercy Parish, South Bound Brook, effective March 10

Father Namwoong (Stephen) Lee has returned to his home diocese

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, “This is the night when Christ broke the prison bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld.”

Continuing

By Christopher Donahue Editor-in-Chief

METUCHEN — For Catholics, February 26 marked the first Sunday of Lent, but for 92 catechumens from 33 parishes in the diocese, the day held special significance.

On that day, they reached a milestone in their Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) formation process as they became members of the Elect. For the next three weeks, their formation will continue with the Scrutinies, during which they are presented with the “Creed” and the “Lord’s Prayer.” Together, with their parish, they will focus on a deeper conversion and examination of their lives in light of the Gospel.

At the Easter Vigil, the Elect are baptized, confirmed and make their first holy Communion, which makes them full members of the Church.

After that, they are known as neophytes — known in English as ‘new sprouts’ — for the first year of their new life in Christ.

On February 26, the catechumens, joined by their families, godparents, sponsors and catechists, gathered at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi for the Rite of Election. There, they publicly declared their intention to become fully initiated in the Catholic Church at the

Easter Vigil in their parish.

Bishop James F. Checchio presided at the liturgy, during which the catechumens signed the Book of the Elect. In his homily, Bishop Checchio told them they have shown enough discipline and dedication that “today your godparents and your catechists judge you worthy, judge you ready…disciplined enough to advance, to become one of the Elect.”

Bishop Checchio noted how in the Gospel, Jesus was tempted by Satan during his 40 days of prayer and fasting in the desert. And, the bishop added, it is a reminder that Satan tries to tempt the faithful to this day.

“It’s not a chance meeting,” the bishop said about Jesus’ encounter with Satan. “When we think of temptation, almost universally we think in terms of trying to entice someone to do something wrong or seeking to seduce someone into sin or perhaps trying to persuade them to take the wrong path, but one interpretation of the word tempt is test. So rather than it always being negative, it could mean something more neutral – a test which could go well or poorly.

“If we use the word tempt in that context in today’s Gospel,” he continued, “then we can call this Gospel the testing of Jesus instead of the temptation of Jesus. After his baptism, he immediately

At top, catechumens joined by their families, godparents, sponsors and catechists filled the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, Feb. 26 for the Rite of Election. Above, far left, Bishop James F. Checchio, who presided at the liturgy, processes to the altar. During the liturgy, the catechumens publicly declared their intention to become fully initiated in the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil in their parish. In his homily, Bishop Checchio told the catechumens their godparents and catechists had judged them worthy and disciplined to advance in their faith journey and become one of the Elect. Each catechumen then signed the Book of The Elect in the sanctuary and greeted the bishop. —

goes into the desert to test himself. As he is about to begin his three years of public ministry, was he strong enough, disciplined enough to embark on his public mission? Could he encounter the most difficult of circumstances and challenges and stay faithful to the Father’s mission for him? In this sense, what we call the temptations in the Gospel today is not meant to make us sin but rather it’s meant to enable us to conquer sin.”

After the liturgy, Brodie Decker, a member of the Elect who is participating in the RCIA process at St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish, Kendall Park, said about reaching this stage of his faith journey, “It feels great. It is beyond enlightening.

“I grew up in and out of churches, no real strong feelings,” he continued, “and the process of learning every week has been really great…giving me a greater sense of being.

“For someone who reads the news, there is a lot of instability out there. I feel like this is providing stability.”

Decker, who was baptized a Mormon, will be baptized again at the Easter Vigil. When asked what might have surprised him or a challenge to overcome during RCIA, he replied, “It sounds dumb, but the Eucharist definitely sticks out — I did not realize what was said in the Bible. Reading more about it, it made sense.

“Even though it is hard to understand from the outside, if you can believe anything about Christ, the Eucharist should be one of the smallest things that is tough to understand.

“The other thing that I did not know coming into it, because I had no knowledge at all, is that Christ was the founder of the Catholic Church. It sounds so obvious, but as an outsider, it makes you wonder, what was I looking anywhere else for?”

Continued on page 8

Chris Donahue and Nevin Mathew photos

Passover, the Jewish feast commemorating that day when God delivered his Chosen People from Egyptian slavery, begins on Wednesday night. At the Seder, before anyone eats, someone at the table, usually a child, asks one of the elders, “why is this night different from all others?” This sparks a teaching on the origin of the ritual which, for some, is new, for others it’s a review. Once completed, everyone knows why they do what they do — and all give thanks to God for Israel, for being his Chosen People, for the gift of life.

On Good Friday, Christians gather to remember the Passover of Christ. Jesus, the Pascha, or Lamb of sacrifice, is responsible for our deliverance, not from Egyptian slavery but from our bondage to sin and eternal death. Following the Jewish model of explaining why Passover is different from all other nights, I’d like to explicate the significance of Good Friday.

From the earliest times, the liturgy of Good Friday was quite simple. The altar is bare because, before Communion, it was just this way in the Church of the early Christians. Before the opening prayer, the priests and deacons do not genuflect rather we prostrate ourselves on the floor as did the clergy in the early Church, begging

God to forgive us our sins.

In the first part of the liturgy, have a Service of the Word, because, up until the second century—there were no daily Masses. Christians celebrated Mass only on Sunday. On Wednesdays and Fridays, however, there were religious services, which consisted solely of readings and prayers.

The Passover of Our Lord Jesus Christ

the reserved sacrament.

who was more than a man. It is this Jesus, the God-Man, who gives us the courage to carry our cross, as it consists of all our worries and personal problems, our troubling family secrets and sense of emptiness which we’ve managed to keep to ourselves, eclipsed from those who surround us. But we can’t keep secrets from God. No matter how hard we pretend that everything is okay—God knows what’s really going on.

In the second part of the liturgy, we venerate the Cross. In the fifth century, St. Cyril of Jerusalem encouraged veneration of the relic of the true Cross which had been discovered by St. Helena in the third century. In time, relics of the true Cross were obtained by many faith communities throughout Christendom. Since most of us do not have access to relics of the true Cross, there evolved the practice of venerating the Crucifix. It’s a custom that the Church observes only on Good Friday.

The third part of the day’s liturgy is Communion from the sacrament that has already been consecrated. This goes back to the fact that in the early Church, when no Mass was celebrated on weekdays, people received Communion from

Of all the liturgies celebrated by the Church throughout the year, what we do on Good Friday comes the closest to what it would be like to worship as Christians in antiquity.

At the heart of what we do today and every day stands the once-forall sacrifice of expiation, the life-line of the Church from which all grace flows: the sacrifice of Calvary. And what makes this Cross so meaningful, so victorious over sin and death is not the wood but the man on the wood,

Since nothing is kept hidden from the God who mournfully watched, as his only Son suffered and died for us, but who, three days later, had the last word which, in retrospect, transformed a bad Friday into a Good Friday, then why not let God into our hearts? Why not ask God to take away the pain which weighs on us like the beam which straddled the shoulders of Jesus? If God can take something horrific, like the execution of his Son, and make it the vehicle of our salvation, then God can surely help us. Why? God loves us. He knows when we are on the brink of giving up, moving on, ending it all. Don’t give up! Don’t give in! Give it over, to God! That’s what Jesus did! And we all know what happened next!

Father Comandini is managing editor of “The Catholic Spirit.”

Embracing ‘hidden presence’ of St. Joseph in our daily prayers

problem! … Do not forget St. Joseph who sleeps! Jesus slept with the protection of Joseph.”

Every morning, while it is still dark, I light a small tea candle that sits at the foot of a vintage statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I love the statue because she is worn with age, like me.

My prayers are first, in gratitude for the big and small blessings of life, and then prayers of petition for my family and friends, the many known and unknown victims of violence and want, and for peace in the soul of humanity.

Last March, the month of St. Joseph, I added a statue of the saint next to Mary. Most often, he is lying on his side resting on small pieces of paper – my prayer intentions. It’s a practice I borrowed from Pope Francis, who has long had a devotion to St. Joseph and who keeps a statue of the sleeping St. Joseph in his office.

The Holy Father acknowledged, “When I have a problem, a difficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath St. Joseph, so that he can dream about it! In other words, I tell him: Pray for this

This image of the sleeping saint has meaning for me because, like many of us, I, too, often make a decision to “sleep on it,” when I have a problem or decision to make. Sometimes, I wake up with a sense that God has given me my marching orders, but my reply is not always the internal, silent yes of St. Joseph who received messages from God through dreams.

My initial reaction is just as likely to be “Seriously?” “You’ve got to be kidding,” or “Umm, I don’t think so.” It might take me some time to come around to what God wants, but Joseph does not falter.

Just a few short months ago, on the Sunday after Christmas we honored St. Joseph through the Feast of the Holy Family, in his role as guardian and teacher. His primary feast is March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph when he is honored as the husband of Mary. He will be honored again on May 1 in the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

One man entrusted by God with so many roles, to which he always said yes.

When Pope Francis declared a Year of St. Joseph to run from Dec. 8, 2020 until Dec. 8, 2021, it was to mark the

150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as the patron of the Universal Church, and to encourage the faithful to go to Joseph for intercession in times of need and to honor the saint’s role as humble protector of the Holy Family.

In his Apostolic Letter, Patris Corde: With a Father’s Heart, Pope Francis encourages us to turn to St. Joseph: “Each of us can discover in Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble.”

That has certainly been my experience, and the height of St. Joseph’s “bed” on my counter is evidence of my belief.

In an extensive footnote at the end of his letter, Pope Francis shares a special prayer to St. Joseph, writing: “Every day,

for over forty years, following Lauds I have recited a prayer to Saint Joseph taken from a nineteenth-century French prayer book of the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary. It expresses devotion and trust, and even poses a certain challenge to Saint Joseph:

‘Glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph, whose power makes the impossible possible, come to my aid in these times of anguish and difficulty. Take under your protection the serious and troubling situations that I commend to you, that they may have a happy outcome. My beloved father, all my trust is in you. Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain, and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary, show me that your goodness is as great as your power. Amen.’”

A Prayer to St. Joseph

O Saint Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, so that having experienced here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers.

WORLD & NATION

Restored Black Catholic churches show power of Black Catholic tradition to evangelize

NEW ORLEANS — At Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in New Orleans, there hangs behind the sanctuary’s altar of worship a mural known as the “Dance of Holy Innocence.” This recently restored mural, and the church it resides in, are symbols of the enduring faith of Black Catholics. Anthony Carter, a parishioner for 16 years, told OSV News the congregation generously donated to restore the mural, which depicts a diverse group of angels surrounding the Virgin Mary, and the result “has lit a fire under this congregation.” Our Lady Star of the Sea is one of a number of Black Catholic churches that have undergone restoration efforts and testify to the enduring importance of parishes formed by Black Catholic traditions to the church’s evangelizing mission. Two Black Catholic parishes -- St. Rita Catholic Church in Indianapolis and the Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk, Virginia -- were among 35 Black Christian churches that received grant money totaling $4 million from the National Trust For Historic Preservation’s African-American Cultural Heritage Action fund. Father Jim Curran, pastor of St. Mary the Immaculate Conception, the nation’s only Black Catholic basilica, told OSV News that African Americans, and members of other ethnic

Compiled from Our Sunday Visitor

LOS ANGELES — The suspect in the shooting death of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. O’Connell was formal ly charged with murder Feb. 22 after ad mitting to killing him. Bishop O’Connell was found dead of a gunshot wound to his upper torso in his home in the Los Angeles suburb of Hacienda Heights on the afternoon of Feb. 18. Carlos Medina, 61, faces one felony count of murder and a special allegation that he used a firearm, according to the LA County Dis trict Attorney’s Office. Medina pleaded not guilty at his formal arraignment March 22 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. Medina is the husband of Bishop O’Connell’s housekeeper and had done handyman work at the home, authorities said. He was arrested at his Torrance home Feb. 20, after a six-hour standoff with SWAT and LA County Sheriff’s deputies. District Attorney George Gascón said at a press conference Feb. 22 that Medina admitted to the killing. If convicted, Medina faces up to 35 years to life in prison.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna comforts Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez while he speaks during a Feb. 20 news conference after the arrest of 61-year-old Carlos Medina, the suspect in the murder of Auxiliary Bishop David G. O’Connell. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Feb. 22 that Medina has been charged with murder.

OSV News photo/Victor Alemán, Angelus News

groups, find a home in the Black Catholic expressions of worship, song, and church life. He said, “Everybody who comes here to worship with us always says, ‘it should be like this everywhere.’”

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Father

PHILADELPHIA — Catholics through out the U.S. are standing in solidarity with Ukraine, as that nation marks the oneyear anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Throughout the war-torn nation, “people have thanked Americans” for their millions of dollars in aid along with prayerful advocacy over the past year, said Metropolitan Archbishop Borys Gudziak of Philadelphia, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the U.S. Catholic organizations such as the Knights of Columbus, Aid to the Church in Need, Catholic Near East Welfare Association, the Humanitarian Aid Fund of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in America, and Catholic Relief Services have sent tens of millions of dollars in aid to support Ukrainians and

Ukrainian refugees. Other Catholic entities, such as the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and The Catholic University of America, have hosted prayer services for Ukraine. Archbishop Gudziak said these efforts show a “steely determination to defend God-given human dignity,” adding, “Now is the time to ramp up support and clearly defeat this attack against democracy and freedom.”

Marc Fallon, executive director of The Labor Guild in the Archdiocese of Boston, does not recall trains being so long in the past. And he sometimes wonders about the freight being carried. “It’s not like there’s neon lights telling you exactly what’s inside, nothing telling you what’s hazardous and not hazardous,” he told OSV News. He points to the Feb. 3 fiery train derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, where toxic chemicals spewed into the air and spilled into water sources, as an example of how communities along major railways can have their lives uprooted in a flash. Catholics, as well as people of faith generally, he said, are bound by their belief in serving the common good to advocate for improved transportation

safety in order to protect families, workers, communities and the environment. For Father Fallon and Father Clete Kiley, a Chicago archdiocesan priest who has been a longtime supporter of labor rights, lifting up the voices of workers in the rail industry and elsewhere is a moral imperative. “And communities of faith, I think, really need to engage that,” Father Kiley said.

A burnt container is seen in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 15, at the site of a train derailment. An Ohio Catholic priest believes “it will be a long time” before he and his parishioners feel secure in their surroundings following the Feb. 3 derailment that dumped toxic chemicals into the

OSV News photo/Alan Freed, Reuters

A mural known as “Dance of Holy Innocence” is pictured in the sanctuary of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in New Orleans Sept. 16, 2022.

OSV News photo/Elise Grenier, courtesy Grenier Conservation

Suspect in slaying of bishop pleads not guilty at March 22 arraignment

Train derailments show vital need for Church’s voice on labor, listening to worker voices for the common good, say advocates

American Catholics stand with Ukraine, one year after Russian full-scale invasion

A Ukrainian flag is displayed during an ecumenical prayer service for peace in Ukraine at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City Feb. 18. The service was held six days in advance of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz

Bishop Checchio encourages support of collection for retired priests

By Chris Donahue Editor-in-Chief

Although parishioners may have lost contact with their now-retired former pastors; clergy who gave them the sacraments of initiation, officiated at their weddings, or were a calming force at the graveside of a loved one, they can still show their appreciation by donating to the “Annual Collection for our Retired Diocesan Priests” the weekend of Palm Sunday (April 1-2).

In a March 26 letter to the faithful, Bishop James F. Checchio wrote:

“As our national celebration of the Eucharistic Revival continues to call us to more deeply appreciate the gift of the Eucharist, it is a fitting time to reflect on the indispensable importance of the priest in the Eucharistic life of the Church. We are blessed to have many good, holy priests faithfully serving in the Diocese of Metuchen in our parishes, hospitals and other important ministries. Let us not forget that we also have a number of retired priests who have dedicated many years of devotion to God and our communities.

“With the passing of time,’ the bishop continued, “there comes a point when we as a Church must care for the priests who first cared for us. There are currently 31 retired priests in the Diocese of Metuchen. While some return home to live with relatives, there are those who do not have this option and need a safe, welcoming environment in which to retire. We currently have 11 priests resid-

Retired Priests [Somerset] where these faithful men live modestly and peacefully with access to medical care. Here, our retired diocesan priests live each day with dignity and the ability to practice their Catholic faith in a brotherly community. Although retired, those who are physically able continue to generously help in so many ways — offering Mass at local parishes, hearing confessions, and sharing their spiritual and administrative wisdom with their brother priests. They also spend time in prayer in their chapel praying for the needs of everyone in our diocese, including you.

“Our retired priests have served so many people over the course of their ministry, nourishing our Catholic faith, educating our youth, and serving the poor and vulnerable. This weekend, April 1 and 2, as we celebrate Palm Sunday, the faithful of the diocese will have the opportunity to gratefully acknowledge the life-long dedication of these priests by contributing to the ‘Annual Collection for our Retired Diocesan Priests.’ All funds raised through this collection will be used exclusively to assist our retired priests by subsidizing the Maria Regina Residence.

“Thank you for your continued generosity. Please keep all of our priests in your daily prayers. Please also continue to pray for vocations from our local Church to the holy priesthood for service in our diocese….”

On behalf of his fellow residents at Maria Regina Residence, Father A. Gregory Uhrig, 75, said the priests are

tion because it supports prayerful, and, in some cases, active residents who assist at parishes on weekends. Others have temporarily been brought out of retirement to serve as administrators of a parish until a new pastor is named.

“It’s a nice community. We help each other a lot,” Father Uhrig said. Because most of the members were ordained before the Second Vatican Council, which was held October 1962 to December 1965, it is one of the many topics of discussion the residents engage

They also are happy to see the Church rekindling an understanding and appreciation of the Real Presence” in the Eucharist through a revival, which the diocese is also participating in.

“We say the Eucharist…is certainly the real presence. It’s also the whole Mass celebration, hearing the word of God and worshiping God,” he said.

Residents also celebrate Mass and pray regularly in the chapel, especially for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.

Good Shepherds

This year’s Collection for our Retired Diocesan Priests will help subsidize the Maria Regina Residence, Somerset, which is home to 11 retired members of the clergy. Chris Donahue photo

Bishop James F. Checchio, third from left, joined the Catholic bishops and archbishops of New Jersey for the quarterly Board of Bishops meeting at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, Piscataway, Feb. 7. Also in photo, from left, retired Auxiliary Bishop John W. Flesey, Archdiocese of Newark; Auxiliary Bishop Michael A. Saporito, Archdiocese of Newark; Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, Archdiocese of Newark; Bishop Dennis Sullivan, Diocese of Camden; Bishop David M. O’Connell, Diocese of Trenton; Bishop Kurt Burnette, Eparchy of Passaic; Auxiliary Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, Archdiocese of Newark; Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, Diocese of Paterson; and Auxiliary Bishop Gregory J. Studerus, Archdiocese of Newark. Gerald Wutkowski Jr. photo

Week honors women religious for selfless, prayerful service

their service and their sacrifices.

In the diocese, there are 19 women religious communities who serve in numerous ways, including staffing schools, forming youth and adults in the faith, providing healthcare to the aged and infirm, assisting with retreats, and serving in parishes and diocesan offices.

To shine a spotlight on the Catholic Sisters in the diocese, “The Catholic Spirit” interviewed Christian Charity Sister Anna Nguyen, diocesan Delegate for Religious. “I am constantly in awe and I feel so blessed to have an opportunity to serve our religious Sisters,” said Sister Anna

She added that reading the February issue of “The Catholic Spirit,” she “felt proud to be a Catholic Sister along with the 20 jubilarians featured in the paper. (One Sister was unable to be interviewed because she had returned to her native Poland to celebrate.)

Each of the Sisters celebrating a significant milestone shared heartwarming stories of their vocation and how it led to lives filled with blessings and graces.

Sister Anna noted that the paper gave a glimpse into the lives of other Sisters, too. Jesus Our Hope Sister Anna Palka, a campus minister at the Catholic Center at Rutgers, New Brunswick, was included in a photo montage of pro-life advocates who participated in the March for Life in Washington D.C. Mercy Sister Lisa D. Gambacorto, directress, Mount Saint Mary Academy, Watchung, posed in a photo with four of the school’s student athletes who are to compete at Catholic colleges after graduation. Sister Anna said,

Saying Catholic Sisters impact the lives they serve, Sister Anna pointed to the story in “The Catholic Spirit,” on Project Homeless Connect and Mercy Sister M. Michaelita Popovice, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen Program Director for Warren Basic Material Needs. She said a colleague of Sister Michaelita told her clients feel her love. “For someone to be in need, to be scared and perhaps not even knowing the language, to walk into Sister Michaelita’s center and feel loved is impactful,” Sister Anna said.

The last photo Sister Anna mentioned was Bishop James F. Checchio on a pastoral visit to the Carmel of Mary Immaculate and St. Mary Magdalen, Flemington, where he posed with two novices. The Carmelites, Sister Anna said, live contemplative lives of prayer and sacrifice, their charism.

“Each religious community’s charism is the gift of the Holy Spirit that through prayer and discernment the founder or foundress of the order gives to us,” Sister Anna said. “Our charism gives us purpose. It characterizes our life, our ministry, our existence, everything about us speaks to that charism,” she explained.

“There are exceptional times, however, that lead Catholic Sisters to step beyond their mission, their charism,” Sister Anna said. These are the times when, “I see heroism and sacrifices.”

“The Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (LSIC), for instance, care for the sick and infirm in their Woodbridge center but they also have Sisters in Poland, Ukraine, Russia and Siberia,.” she added.

When Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, these Sisters had an opportunity to evacuate to a safer location but chose to stay, sacrificing their own safety. Instead of leaving, they opened their convents and welcomed refugees. They said “yes” to following the Lord in this way, said Sister Anna.

She added other religious communities have also opened their convents to refugees from the war. Her community, Sisters of Christian Charity, took in a group of refugees that made it to Germany, and the Felician Sisters have taken in refugees in Poland.

Catholic Sisters Week, Sister Anna said, “is also a time to consider the spirituality of Catholic Sisters.”

“Spirituality is the soul of religious life with God at the center. It is the center of each congregation. It is the ministry of all religioius communities," Sister Anna said. In 2016, at the end of the Year for

Top left, (from left) Sister Jadwiga Chlus, Sister Irene Lisowska and Sister Mary Ann Marshall, members of the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, pray at Mass celebrated as part of the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Milltown, where the Sisters used to operate its now-closed parochial school. Top center, Jesus Our Hope Sister Anna Palka is shown at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Bottom center, Mercy Sister M. Michaelita Popovice, Program Director for Catholic Charities' Warren Basic Material Needs, talks with a client. Right, Mother Elizabeth, Superior, LSIC, holds a poster showing members of her community with refugees in the Ukraine.

photos by Chris Donahue, Tiffany Workman, Sister Leila Braganza, LSIC and courtesy of Brother Patrick Reilly, director, Catholic Center at Rutgers.

Consecrated Life, Pope Francis said that "the marrow of consecrated life is prayer.” Two years later the Holy Father said that for the consecrated person prayer is a return to the meeting with the Lord in which they were called by him. “Prayer in the consecrated life,” he stressed, “is the air which makes us breathe that call, renew that call.”

Besides focusing on mission and spirituality, Catholic Sisters Week also stresses building community. “Praying, working, serving day in and day out, Catholic Sisters build up the Kingdom of

God,” Sister Anna said. “We take vows to live in community so that we can be a witness to the Gospel collectively and serve the Church and for that to continue to the end of time we need to build it up so that our witnessing to the Gospel, our ministry to the Church could continue.

“Catholic Sisters have contributed much to the history of women,” she added. “And I feel that Catholic Sisters deserve to be recognized for their service and their sacrifices.”

Joanne Ward serves as adviser to “The Catholic Spirit.”

“Spirituality is the soul of religious life with God at the center. It is the center of each congregation. It is the ministry of all religious communities."

— Sister Anna Nguyen, diocesan Delegate for Religious

Rite of Election

Continued from page 3

Other attendees at the liturgy included Ivas Rose, RCIA coordinator at St. Joseph Parish, Carteret; and Ibis Roman and Rosayris Surel, RCIA coordinators at Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Perth Amboy.

“When you are with some of these catechumens for two years,” Rose said, “it is a wonderful experience to see them get to this point — write their name in the Book of the Elect.”

“We have more than 25 years of experience with the process,” Roman said, “and it is very rewarding to see them come home like very lost sheep. And … when they take the sacraments they are very happy, very focused on what the Catholic tradition and religion is.

“Then, they continue with their second conversion.”

List of Elect from diocese scheduled to become initiated into full communion with Church

Parish City Catechumens

Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi Metuchen

Assumption of the Hackettstown

Blessed Virgin Mary Parish

Immaculate Conception Parish Somerville

Jerlin Garo, Charles Messina

Keydi Samantha Chacon

Bryan Brickley, Kristi Capindica, Erica Fowlkes, Isabella Hayling, Timeteo Martinez, Carson Strohman, Connor Strohman

Good Shepherd Parish Hopelawn Stacey L. Villar

Holy Family Parish

New Brunswick

Bryan Alvarado, Sheyla Amador, Vanessa M. Crus, Cristal Flores, Emely Flores, Marco Flores, Omar Garcia Merino

Immaculate Conception Parish Spotswood Emilio Joseph Obregon

Mary, Mother of God Parish Hillsborough Township Chloe Montgomery

Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish Perth Amboy

Adrian Jose Cardoso, Elvis Cordero, Jeromy Dilone, Jose Manuel Argueta, Giselle Mena, Rosalina Mena, Jeric Rodriguez, Sarisbel Rodriguez, Sayling Emilia Palma Yong

Nativity of Our Lord Parish Monroe Township

Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish South Plainfield

Our Lady of Fatima Parish Piscataway

Our Lady of Fatima Parish Perth Amboy

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish New Brunswick

Dove Momodu

Steven Daniel Miller, Thu Nhi Phan

Giovanna Aldana, Melinda Ramdass, Sasha Stotler

Giselda Almonte, Katherine Diaz, Guillermo Lopez Rocha, Evelyn Santiago

Ronaldo Barrios, Javier Escamilla Noyola, David Lopez Perez, Michelle Perez Aguilar, Gerardo Vazquez, Isabel Vazquez Ruiz

Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish Middlesex Delmi Serrano, Nathaly Taveras

Our Lady of Victories Parish

Sayreville

Parish of the Visitation New Brunswick

Queenship of Mary Parish Plainsboro Township

St. Ambrose Parish Old Bridge

St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish

St. Catherine of Siena Parish

St. James Parish

St. John the Evangelist Parish

Dayelis Blanco, Yordanis Camejo, Osiel Gonzalez

Azucena Lopez Herrera, Kevin Alexander Rodriguez, Alexander John Uzunis

Analiese Bandy, Kira Ochieng, Tahill (Tyler) Williams-Bey

Miguel Castillo, Gavin Flynn, Mariah Oxley, Anderson Sanchez

Top photo, Bishop James F. Checchio poses with members of the elect, Brodie Decker, from St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish, Kendall Park, and an unidentified member of the elect at the Rite of Election at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen. Bishop Checchio presided at the rite and gave the homily. Below, posing for a photo after the liturgy, from left, Ivas Rose, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) coordinator at St. Joseph Parish, Carteret; and Ibis Roman and Rosayris Surel, RCIA coordinators at Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Perth Amboy.

Nevin Mathew and Chris Donahue photos

St. John Vianney Parish

St. Joseph Parish

St. Joseph Parish

St. Joseph Parish

St. Joseph Parish

St. Jude Parish

St. Magdalen de Pazzi Parish

St. Mary of Ostrabrama Parish

St. Matthias Parish

Kendall Park

Pittstown

Woodbridge

Lambertville

Colonia

Bound Brook

Carteret

Raritan

North Plainfield

Blairstown

Flemington

South River

Somerset

Brodie Decker

Ashley Jasmine Tomson

Quinn Croom, Kylie Guzman-Morel, Jessica Morel, Anthony Danny Reyes-Pizzaro, Nevin Reyes-Pizzaro, Mojeanny Saint-Fleur

Izabella Kijewski, Julia Kijewski, Kaela Kijewski, William Stewart

Heather Keith

Francy J. Diaz

Ana Hernandez

Ariana Noyola Morales, Michelle Noyola Morales

Charlie Damacela, Saira Pahola Guardado Orellana

Noel Wiggins

Jeffri Villeda Diaz, Duncan Treadwell

Alexander Jonathan Freitas

Nelson Nichols, Wanzhi Zhang

St. Peter the Apostle

St. Philip & St. James Parish

New Brunswick

Leelabati Biswas, Alba Borao Ruiz, Jason Chaudhry, University & Community Parish Cydney Creekmur, Jane Matto

Phillipsburg

Allison Crilly, Michele Holschwander

Spreading the Word

Two seminarians from the diocese were among 10 men appointed to the Ministry of Lector at Redemptoris Mater Seminary, Kearny, Feb. 12. In top photo, the diocese's seminarians, James Francis Prumos (left) and Patrick James Rasimowicz sing during the liturgy. Center photo, Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Newark, who presided at the Liturgy of Institution, hands the book of Holy Scripture to Prumos. As lectors, Prumos and Rasimowicz will proclaim the Word of God. In bottom photo, fom left, Bishop Elias poses with Msgr. John N. Fell, diocesan director of Seminarians; and director of the Office for Priest Personnel, Rasimowicz; Prumos, and Father Mark F. Kehoe, pastor St. Lawrence Parish, Laurence Harbor. — Gerald Wutkowski Jr. photos

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By Deacon Patrick Cline Correspondent

METUCHEN — Last year the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops called for a three-year National Eucharistic Renewal in our country “to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.” In response to that call, the Diocese of Metuchen held a three-night Lenten Mission, “Behold” by Array of Hope in collaboration with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi. Father Timothy A. Christy, rector of the Cathedral, noted, “The retreat was hosted by the Cathedral as a means to encounter more deeply the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and in our daily lives.”

David Hajduk, Spiritual Director of the Array of Hope, a ministry of the New Evangelization, was the principal speaker for the Lenten mission. He told the congregation, “Each of the retreat’s three nights will have a specific focus: Eucharist in Healing, Eucharist in Awe and Eucharist in Communion.”

He noted that the results of a 2019 Pew Research Center study found that almost 70 percent of self-described Catholics in the U.S. do not believe that the Eucharist is the true presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. They believe they are symbols, he added, but said the talks during the retreat would show the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. During his hour-long talk, Hajduk referenced a number of scenes from the life of Jesus Christ contained in the New Testament to demonstrate the healing nature of Jesus’ miracles.

Father Guiseppe Maria Siniscalchi, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, then also spoke about the Eucharist in Healing. He shared his experiences of healing on a personal level as well as the impact on the lives of so many he has witnessed through his ministry.

Eucharist and Awe

Hadjuk began the second evening of the Lenten Mission by introducing its focus: the Eucharist and Awe. He quoted the early twentieth century theologian, Rudolf Otto, who defined God as a mystery that is both terrifying and fascinating. “We stand in awe and some fear at the reality and magnificence of the Creator of the world,” Otto said.

As he did the previous evening Hadjuk used passages from Holy Scripture to examine how through the ages the people of God have stood trembling in the presence of the Almighty. He quoted Psalm 29 where the psalmist uses the image of a storm to describe God’s awesome power, “Ascribe to the Lord glory and might. Worship the Lord in glorious splendor.”

He talked, too, about the Burning Bush passage from the Book of Exodus where God tells Moses to remove his sandals before he approaches because he is standing on holy ground. Later when Moses asks God to identify Himself, the answer is “I am Who am.” God is fully

Three-Day Lenten Mission Focuses on Blessed Sacrament

sufficient in Himself. God is being itself. And we are utterly dependent on God.

While both evenings, Hadjuk’s talks were a very clear historical and theological description of the evening’s topic Father Siniscalchi’s deeply personal and spiritual presentations put the evenings into the present. He took the focus of the night to the experiential level of the participants.

Father Siniscalchi began his talk the second evening by reading the Gospel of Matthew’s institution of the Eucharist. He then asked the congregation “Does God love you?” “Do you want to live in that love?” After loud collective “Yes” to both questions, Father Siniscalchi proclaimed, “God is Love.”

He then asked the rhetorical question, “How much does God love your?”

He spread his hands slightly and said, “No.” Then widening his hands a little at a time he asked the same question until his arms were spread open like Christ on the cross and answered, “No, this much!”

On the first and second nights of the retreat, Father Siniscalchi asked everyone to place their right hand on the

Top left, during the diocese's Lenten Mission, Franciscan Friar of the Renewal Father Guiseppe Maria Siniscalchi asked attendees to place their right hand on the person next to or near them and repeat the blessing, which he led, "Heavenly Father You made this child, You love this child, Father, this is Your child. Father, I ask You in the Name of Jesus to send down the Holy Spirit.” Top right, Father Siniscalchi gives a deeply personal and spiritual presentation on the Eucharist and Awe. He posed the rhetorical question, How much does God love you? He answered the question widening his hands until they were spread open like Christ on the cross, and said, this much. Above, Father Siniscalchi prays during Eucharistic Adoration. During the second night of the Lenten Mission, half the lights in the Cathedral were turned off. — John Batkowski photos

person next to or near them and repeat the following blessing which he led: “Heavenly Father You made this child, You love this child, Father, this is Your child. Father, I ask You in the Name of Jesus to send down the Holy Spirit.”

Eucharistic Adoration

After both of Father Siniscalchi’s talks he exposed the Blessed Sacrament on the altar for Adoration. The first night the members of congregation were then invited to come forward as Father Siniscalchi carried the Monstrance with the

Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus, to the communion rail where he paused in front of each person kneeling there. It was suggested that as they venerated the Monstrance in front of them they could bow before the presence of the Lord, or look deeply at the Monstrance or even touch the Humeral Veil that Father Siniscalchi wore, as did the woman healed by Jesus when she touched his garment. However, they chose to express their devotion each person was invited to place their needs or the needs of others for healing before the Lord. It was an inspiring sight.

”The retreat was hosted by the Cathedral as a means to encounter more deeply the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and in our daily lives.”

Father Timothy A. Christy

One individual, Matthew Gilbert, who knelt at the communion rail had just experienced the loss of a very close friend and although not a parishioner of the Cathedral heard about the evening and decided to attend. He said that as he knelt in front of Christ he raised his friend and himself to the Lord and he felt in his heart the healing presence of God.

The second night of the Lenten Mission, after Father Siniscalchi exposed the Blessed Sacrament on the altar, half the

lights in the Cathedral were turned off, which created a quiet and peace so intense nothing could break the powerful, prayer-filled atmosphere.

Enhancing the messages of the retreat was a musical presentation by Array of Hope Ministry who began each evening with a program of spiritual music. A group of musicians and songwriters, AOH was founded in 2010 to evangelize and spread the Gospel through music, films and events. Their music throughout

the Mission helped create a peaceful and meditative environment.

Each night of the first two retreat evenings ended when the Eucharist was placed back in the tabernacle and Hajduk thanked all who attended and announced the focus of the next night. On the second night he stated the Lenten Mission’s final evening would focus on Eucharist and holy Communion.

Throughout the entire two evenings, two priests were available to administer

the sacrament of reconciliation.

Susan Kovach, a member of the Cathedral Parish, described the Lenten Mission as wonderful. The three nights, she said, were a great balance between the tradition of Eucharistic Adoration and the powerful presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and the music was very uplifting and engaging.

Deacon Cline exercises his ministry at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Bridgewater

Faithful from diocese encounter, reflect on Eucharist at inaugural Lenten Retreat at Cathedral

By Paul J. Peyton Correspondent

METUCHEN — The diocese concluded its Lenten Retreat “Behold,” a three-night encounter with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament,” March 8 with Mass celebrated by Bishop James F. Checchio at the Cathedral of St. Francis Assisi. The retreat

Angel saying, “blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the lamb.”

He noted that it is on the cross that Jesus is “his body, his very self, fully to his bride and becomes one body in Christ… for Jesus is lamb and bridegroom…

“The Church,” he continued, “is the body of Christ because it is the bride of Christ taken from the side of the bridegroom who has become one body with him.

Hajduk, who did his doctoral work in theology at Maryvale Institute, Birmingham, England, and wrote his dissertation on the thought of St. John Paul II, said breaking the commandments of God is a “serious matter.”

He reminded the faithful that receiving holy Communion does not automatically make you in communion with God if you have a great sin, only the sacrament of reconciliation can do that.

Bishop Checchio, who presided at the Mass, also gave the homily.

was in conjunction with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal.

“Our Lenten Retreat helps us to get further into Lenten spirituality by thinking of Lent and the prayers of Lent,” Bishop Checchio told the congregation.

The diocese's Lenten Mission concluded the third night with Mass at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen. At top, Bishop James F. Checchio, who presided at the liturgy and gave the homily, lifts the paten with the Eucharist and Deacon J.P Saggese raises the chalice during the Eucharist Prayer. Above the faithful at the Mass stand to recite the Nicene Creed. In the center Father Timothy A. Christy, rector, Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, distributes communion. He concelebrated the Mass with Bishop Checchio. David Hajduk, director of theology with Array of Hope, who spoke all three nights of the Lenten Mission delivers a talk on "The Eucharist and Communion." He described Jesus' mission as the bridegroom marrying his bride and the Kingdom of God as a wedding feast.

— John Batkowski photos

The third night of the retreat began with music by Array of Hope Ministry which, lead singer Brianne Nealon said, she hoped would help those attending to “experience something different and deeper” in their relationship with the Holy Spirit. They sang “Light of the World,” “On Fire,” and “Lord, I need You,” the latter which Nealon invited everyone to sing the chorus.

A talk by David Hajduk, director of theology with Array of Hope, followed. He described Jesus’ mission as the bridegroom marrying his bride and the Kingdom of God as a wedding feast.

In addressing the night’s theme, “The Eucharist and Communion,” Hajduk read from the Book of Revolution: “Let us rejoice and exult and give Him glory for the marriage of the lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready” with the

“Can you drink of the Chalice that I am going to drink,” Bishop Checchio said in his homily, repeating Jesus’ words to the 12 Apostles in Matthew 20:22. “Strong word from our Lord?” The bishop noted that Jesus said these words as he knew he was headed to Jerusalem, where he would be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes and condemned to death and that he would be “mocked, scourged and crucified.”

He said Jesus reminds us that “our only recognition comes through service — of our brothers and sisters, especially those in need. Service even to the point, like Jesus, [that] they [the Apostles] were willing to lay down their lives,” the bishop added.

He said that in carrying on the mission of Jesus we “need to look for ways to serve our brothers and sisters following Jesus’ instructions, ‘if you love me, be my sheep.’” He said there are a number of ministries at St. Francis of Assisi that need help.

“Perhaps this Lent would be a good time to pick a new one [ministry] to be involved in, a new way to serve, to help drink from the chalice of our Lord,” Bishop Checchio concluded.

In carrying on the mission of Jesus we “need to look for ways to serve our brothers and sisters following Jesus’ instructions, ‘if you love me, be my sheep.’”

—Bishop James F. Checchio

Rutgers, Seton Hall students deepen faith at three-day retreat

Correspondent

PITTSTOWN — Twice a year, students from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, take time away from their busy workload to spend time on a mountaintop with the Lord. The Catholic Center at Rutgers empowers its student members to plan and execute all aspects of the retreat, held Feb. 17-19. This year, they added a new twist by joining forces with Seton Hall University, South Orange.

Saint Paul’s Outreach is alive and well on both campuses. Brother Joe Donovan, a member of the Brotherhood of Hope and one of the assisting staff, said, “A larger community of people gathered together here helps to encourage them [the students] a little more. They think it’s not just me experiencing this, but 170 of my peers are experiencing this, too.”

At the retreat, held at Camp Tecumseh, students had an opportunity to share fellowship with their Catholic peers. Talks were given by alumni, invited guests and Catholic Center staff members. Witness talks were given by members of the student retreat team. Some of the other highlights of the weekend were adoration, small group sharing, Masses, confession and prayers for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The name “Fan into Flame” is a pre-formatted retreat that introduces the students to the person and the power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in their lives. One evening, the participants were given a chance to pray for a deeper gift of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

The talks and activities of the weekend were geared to help everyone mix together not just by school but as one community. For some, it was their first experience being on a retreat. For others, it was their ninth or 10th time.

Jesus Our Hope Sister Anna Palka, who graduated from Rutgers in 2015, participated in the retreats as a student. She now serves full time as part of the Catholic Student Association. “This is a new moment for campus ministry and the

are two campuses coming together, wanting to bring new life out of this,” she said.

Each year, the retreat is directed by four students who work as co-directors to plan events. This year, since there were two schools involved, they had two students from Rutgers and two from Seaton Hall.

Jessica Leguizamon, one of the directors from Rutgers, said, “We came together because there is a conviction that the Lord wanted to do something here in New Jersey. There is just something about bringing us together. We want unity and community.”

The team spent time praying together and planning. The hope is for the same Holy Spirit that they received at Confirmation to engage with them. “For a lot of us, we receive Him and then nothing really happens afterwards. This is helping us go deeper into our sacraments as Catholics and learning to speak to Jesus through the Holy Spirit, the advocate,” she said.

“I know there has been this really deep craving to go further. We wanted to make it about this state and allow the Holy Spirit to be awesome here. We want to give that to everyone so they can bring that home with them.”

The campus ministry sought to bring people together to give a concrete notion that there are other colleges who want to know God and want to find the way to him.

“Our people, the universal Catholic Church, are coming out. There is some thing rumbling. It’s happening and it’s so good. I think we all feel it and we are excited,” Leguizamon said.

Brother Brennan Robinson, who serves with St. Paul’s outreach, noted, “What is amazing is you have two very different schools -- a big public univer sity and a private university -- but that is the beauty of the moving of the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t just bring it to us in our personal life. It’s a unified life in Christ. There are real friendships emerging here.”

Many activities sparked playful competition between the schools, but they

with the face of the Church. Campus ministry from both schools included religious, priests, married couples and single adults all engaging one another and sharing their love for the Lord while connecting each other to the broader church.

As students returned to campus life, Sister Anna said, “Many walked forward from the retreat with strengthened faith and trust, a removal of fear of proclaiming His name, and a definitive encounter with our God who is love.

“We can have great hope for the Church in New Jersey as we send forth these young adults who boldly proclaim

Above, students and staff of the Catholic Center at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, pose for a photo at their biannual retreat. Also in the photo are students from Seton Hall University, South Orange who joined the retreat held at Camp Tecumseh, Pittstown. Below Father Jason Pavich, Administrator, St. Peter the Apostle University and Community Parish, New Brunswick, blesses the retreatants with the Blessed Sacrament; on the bottom are: (far left and far right) Rutgers students Gabriel Galvez and Jessica Leguizamon. In the center are Seton Hall students Jackie Ballard and Roger McCurdi. —photos courtesy of The Catholic Center at Rutgers

Rutgers alumni shares lessons learned about grief, gratitude

By Annie Nason

During my entire drive up to [Rutgers University] campus, the thought that something was wrong played over and over in my brain. I was in my final semester of graduate school, less than a month away from graduation and on my way to meet with my spiritual director, Laura Greey.

Over the course of the past three years, our time together was always a bright spot in my week. But I could not shake the feeling that our meeting wasn’t going to happen that day. No matter what was going on in my life, Laura had a way of knowing what I needed most whether it be a big hug, a space to cry or time to laugh and break open the stash of chocolate in her desk drawer.

My relationship with her was like having a second mom and a close friend, all wrapped into one. She was one of those people who helped me grow not only in my Catholic faith, but also as a person. Right after we met, Laura was diagnosed with cancer and generously shared much of her journey with me. I had just parked the car when my phone rang. It was Laura. My heart skipped a beat. Something was definitely up: “Annie, where are you? I’m about to come up to your office.”

She’s not here, I knew it, I thought to myself. “Where are you?”

“I’m not there. I’m in the hospital,” she replied.

My mind raced to process the next bits of what Laura told me. I was in shock, partly because of her medical emergency, but also because my intuition proved to be correct. Laura explained as quickly as she could that she had suffered a ministroke.

“Listen, I can’t talk long, but I knew you’d need a place to cry this out,” Laura said. “I told Brother Pat [Reilly, director, The Catholic Center at Rutgers] to expect a phone call. Go cry with him!”

That was truly one of the things I loved most about Laura; that even if we couldn’t be together physically, she was always making sure I was taken care of. This wasn’t the first time that the effects of her cancer kept us apart and I usually went to Brother Pat, a member of the Brotherhood of Hope, to vent about it. I came to understand through our conversations that what I was experiencing

tions for a bit Brother Pat looked at me and said, “Annie, you have a choice here. You can choose to continue to be angry and frustrated by what is happening, but I can tell you it’s going to lead to a dead end. Or, you could choose to be grateful.”

I could not fathom how gratitude could be at all relative in a time like this.

“How in the world am I supposed to be grateful!?” I cried.

I knew I sounded stubborn, but I

How to report abuse

If you were sexually abused by a member of the clergy or anyone representing the Catholic Church, or you know of someone who was, you are encouraged to report that abuse to local law enforcement, the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency at 1-877-NJ ABUSE (652-2873) or 1-800-835-5510 (TTY/TDD for the deaf), and also the Diocesan Response Officer at (908) 930-4558 (24 hours/7 days a week).

“Someone I love is sick, and I miss her. I don’t understand why this is all happening, and I’m supposed to choose

cated question could have such a simple

“Because her life has been a gift to yours, and there are times when God gives and God takes away.”

I stopped to ponder this. I didn’t want God to take her away. The prospect of losing someone who I cared about so deeply, scared me. My face must have said as much because Brother Pat looked at me and asked, “You’re going to throw that pillow at me, aren’t you?”

It was the first time I cracked a hint

of a smile that night. All I had the energy to say in response was, “Bro, I’m not there yet.”

“Oh I know,” he replied. “I’m planting a seed of goodness.”

But I was extremely skeptical. My grief felt too big to have room for gratitude, too. When the news came a few weeks later that Laura’s cancer had in fact metastasized to her brain, I was heartbroken. This latest development felt like the equivalent of a hail storm pummeling that seed of goodness Brother Pat claimed to have planted during our conversation. I struggled with this for a long time.

While Laura continued her battle with cancer, my family experienced two tragic and unexpected losses of loved ones within 15 months. My eyes were opened quickly to how precious life truly is. Eventually, the realization hit that carrying around the amount of anger that I was toward two family deaths and Laura’s cancer didn’t change the fact that these events had occurred. I hated to admit it but Brother Pat was right, I was hitting that dead end. It wasn’t the grief that I had to release, but rather the anger that was warping my perspective. The choice to embrace gratitude became even more important to me as Laura’s health declined. I wanted to take in every bit of time between us with grace and gratitude. What were once hours long conversations between us became only a few minutes as she lost the ability to communicate, but we always ended with an “I love you.”

And, finally, I could understand it wasn’t about choosing grief or gratitude, but rather, letting both coexist. Because at their core, grief and gratitude are really the same thing... forms of love.

Annie Nason is a 2017 graduate of Rutgers who earned a dual degree in Public Health and Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Education there in 2019.

Laura J. (Apuzzo) Greey died July 22, 2022 at her home in Berkeley Heights. A surviving family member is Brother Kenneth Apuzzo, general superior for the Brotherhood of Hope community and former director of The Catholic Center at Rutgers. He now serves at the Catholic Campus Ministry at the University of Central Florida, Orlando.

Senior Care at Home

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By Kimberley Heatherington

(OSV News) -- What potential role do artificial intelligence programs have for the Catholic Church’s new evangelization? A great deal according to human -- and AI -- experts.

When asked by OSV News how ChatGPT, a free online AI program that can “talk” to users, can be “used in service of the mission of the Catholic Church, including education and evangelization,” the highly-advanced chatbot answered in the affirmative -- and gave a caveat.

“ChatGPT can assist in the mission of the Catholic Church by providing information and answering questions related to Catholic teachings, beliefs and practices, which can aid in education and evangelization efforts,” it stated. “Additionally, ChatGPT can assist with language translation and facilitate communication between individuals who may have language barriers.”

But at the same time, ChatGPT qualified its answer.

“However, it’s important to note that ChatGPT is just a tool and should not be relied upon as a sole source of information or guidance,” it added. “The teachings and guidance of the Catholic Church should ultimately come from qualified human experts, such as priests and other religious leaders.”

In other words, bishops, clergy and lay catechists are still as indispensable to the Church with AI tools just as they were when the Church started putting the Gospels to pen and paper.

ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is an “artificial conversation entity” -- a chatbot -- that is technically a form of “natural language processing” technology. It uses machine learning algorithms and vast amounts of

teaching

data to generate human-like responses to requests. It can answer questions, write essays, compose e-mails, and even produce poetry.

Developed by OpenAI, a for-profit research foundation injected with billions of dollars in Microsoft funding, it has received a frenzy of attention since its Nov. 30, 2022 launch. According to a Feb. 2 Reuters report, ChatGPT “is estimated to have reached 100 million monthly active users in January … making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history.”

When informed by OSV News that ChatGPT deferred to “human experts, such as priests,” Jesuit Father James Keenan, director of the Jesuit Institute at Boston College, joked that “it would be nice if everybody paid attention to that adage!”

Nonetheless, the priest told OSV News, “The more that the Church engages AI, the better.”

“Not capitulating to it,” he said, “but actually engaging the topic.”

Father Keenan participated in the Vatican’s October 2021 symposium, “The Challenge of Artificial Intelligence for Human Society and the Idea of the Human Person.”

“I don’t see why we should be saying AI is bad for you,” Father Keenan commented. Obsessive personalities may find it addicting -- as with social media or online gaming -- but “it’s just a new resource.”

However, human judgment, Father Keenan said, should not be yielded to AI. “The question that always has to be asked is, ‘where is the human in all this?’”

The danger of substituting AI for face-to-face evangelization, Father Keenan cautioned, is “that we atrophy in doing the work of evangelization and let the machines do it.”

Dan Kuebler, project co-lead of The Purposeful Universe and dean of the School of Natural and Applied Sciences at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, sees catechetical possibilities in AI tools like ChatGPT.

“Think about someone that doesn’t have access to the catechism, or just wants to know what the Church’s teaching is on something – that’s a question that could be answered by one of these,” he said.

The results, however, are only as good as the input: the enduring computer science maxim of GIGO, “garbage in; garbage out.” Humans ultimately supervise the algorithms and data ChatGPT relies upon.

“It’s only as good as the data that you put in -- if you put in bad data, you’re going to get bad answers to some of these questions,” Kuebler explained. “If you put in biased data, you’re going to get biased answers.”

What would be wonderful, Kuebler suggested, “is to build a ChatGPT-type engagement for Catholics, where you can just ask questions, and it would give the answers that would be consistent with Catholic teaching.”

ChatGPT also has sparked other tech companies to accelerate their own AI tools. Microsoft has begun beta-testing an AI-enhanced version of its Bing search engine. Google made a splash announcing its AI chatbot “Bard” on Feb. 6, but the ChatGPT alternative made a factual error on the James Webb Telescope during its reveal, a public mistake that wiped out $100 billion in Alphabet’s

(Google’s parent company) value when markets opened the next day.

“They’re already predicting that ChatGPT is going to replace Google,”

Father Ian Van Heusen, campus minister at East Carolina University’s Newman Center in Greenville, and leader of the MetaCatholic project. “So, there’s a good chance that instead of Googling something in six months or a year, you might be using ChatGPT. We’re going to be doing some great stuff with faith and technology in the near future.”

MetaCatholic develops AI-based Catholic content, such as its VR (virtual reality) rosary -- available on the YouTube 360 app -- that immerses viewers in a 3D, 360-degree “you are there” environment using an Oculus headset and compatible VR devices.

For those without a VR headset, the sorrowful mysteries also can be seen on Father Van Heusen’s YouTube channel.

“In a year or two, it won’t be about if you’re going to use AI, it will be about how you use AI,” he said.

For those who are anxious at the steady march of technology, he has a reminder: “We believe in providence –God’s in charge. From all eternity, God knew that he would give humanity ‘artificial intelligence.’”

Rather than worrying by focusing on AI’s potential problems, Father Van Heusen said, “We should be asking ourselves, ‘What is God doing right now? Where is God’s will in this?’”

Kimberley Heatherington writes for OSV News from Virginia.

‘Human experts’ must remain linked to online Church

Left: Father Ian Van Heusen, campus minister at East Carolina University’s Newman Center in Greenville, N.C., and leader of the MetaCatholic project, is shown in an undated photo. OSV News photo/courtesy Kyle Roebuck Right: A robot equipped with artificial intelligence is seen at the AI Xperience Center in Brussels Feb. 19, 2020. OSV News photo/Yves Herman, Reuters

Middlesex native looks forward to having positive impact on schools

By Christina Leslie Correspondent

Joseph Diskin believes his more than three decades of educational experience, and a positive demeanor, will both be assets in his new position as assistant superintendent, diocesan Office of Schools.

“I always come from an optimistic perspective, and I have seen a lot in my career, and anything I can do to help and improve I will do,” Diskin attested.

Diskin, a native of Middlesex, earned a bachelor of science degree at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, and a master of arts degree at Kean University, Union.

He served as an elementary school health and physical education teacher in the Dunellen, then Rockaway Township, school systems while coaching track and field, football and basketball. He holds numerous New Jersey certifications as principal, supervisor and school business administrator, as well as for coaching and officiating in track and field.

After a term as an elementary school assistant principal in Sparta Township, Diskin was principal in the Saddle Brook public school system before assuming a role as principal of an intermediate school for the Bridgewater Raritan Regional School System for the past 23 years.

Diskin explained his transition from 35 years in public education to a more faith-based focus, saying, “Being a person of deep faith, beginning a ministry in Catholic education was something I was very interested in and believed my interpersonal and leadership skills would be a valuable asset to Catholic education.”

Not surprisingly, the former multisport coach sees much value in a robust and positive sports program in the schools, asserting it leads to a greater sense of pride and will positively enhance its climate and culture.

“It gives students opportunities to grow and succeed and learn life skills and lessons that can’t be learned in other areas,” Diskin continued. “Self-confi-

dence, optimism, fairness, competition, resilience, goal setting, effort, hard work, and teamwork are many skills and concepts that will be used in life and originally learned from practice and competition. The memories and friendships will last a lifetime and will serve those well who choose to participate and compete to the best of their ability.”

Diskin and his wife, Kate, who is the assistant superintendent of schools in Millburn, have been married for 23 years and have two teenage sons. Residents of Mountainside, they are members of Holy Trinity Parish, Westfield.

One hears a hint of the former coach’s credo of skill development and teamwork as Diskin shared his goals for this new position.

“I want to be of service positively assisting our principals in helping them lead their schools successfully [and] support our schools in reaching their full potential,” he said. “I look forward to partnering with Mrs. [Barbara] Stevens and

[Felician] Sister Mary Louise [Shulas] so that our office will bring out the best in others and provide an excellent Catholic education for all of our students.”

Diskin noted that parents considering a Catholic education for their children “have an opportunity for their children to learn in an environment that allows students to grow in their faith while learning in schools and classrooms with high academic standards.”

During his visits to schools so far, he added, “I am impressed by the quality of teaching and learning, positive school climate and culture, dedication of the teachers and principals, and the respectful and happy children.

“Catholic schools are a wonderful place for students to grow and learn the Catholic faith. There are lessons and values learned from a Catholic school education that would not be experienced in other school setting, thus making for more caring and loving human beings.”

Students gather to pray for end to hostilities in war-torn nation

By Christina Leslie Correspondent

PERTH AMBOY — Faithful of the Roman and Byzantine rites united in prayer Feb. 24 to beseech their Creator for peace in Ukraine.

Members of the faith communities of Perth Amboy Catholic School and Assumption School filled the pews of Assumption Church, the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, marking the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Bishop James F. Checchio had joined his brother bishops and clergy of the Philadelphia Ukraine Metropolis in their call for a solemn day of prayer, fasting and almsgiving for a peaceful resolution to the war.

In his letter announcing the commemoration, Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop Borys Gudziak wrote, “We must always remember that our strongest weapons in this battle are prayer, fasting and good deeds, which we offer at the throne of our merciful Lord. May we always be encouraged and strengthened by the words of Our Lord: ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’ (Mt 18:20)

“Therefore, let us never lose faith and hope in the ultimate victory of Ukraine over her enemies and the tri umph of truth and justice.”

Father Ivan Turyk, pastor, Assumption Parish, led the moleben or liturgical service of supplication and thanksgiving, before a congregation of children from both schools and community members such as Perth Amboy Mayor Helmin J. Caba.

Lissette Shumny, principal, As sumption Catholic School, explained the reasons behind her students’ presence at the prayer service and the impact the Russian invasion had upon the entire school community.

“Today marks one year since the un provoked invasion in Ukraine,” Shumny said. “Over the last six months, Assump tion Catholic School has accepted 20 new Ukrainian students and welcomed them with an open heart.”

She continued, “This special Moleben prayer service to the Mother of God is what we, as their new community, have to offer. Today we come together to pray for the protection of their families back home and for much needed peace in Ukraine.”

Standing beneath a mosaic iconog-

mates how she and her mother had fled the war-torn nation as her father and brother were left behind to fight in the war. Pictures of the two beloved family members in better times were displayed behind her, as was a “Pray for Ukraine” poster in the nation’s national colors of blue and yellow.

Referring to the students, Shumny concluded, “They have experienced so much loss and endured so much change, yet each day their courage amazes us.”

Above left, Father Ivan Turyk, pastor, the Ukrarinian Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Perth Amboy, leads the faith communities of Perth Amboy Catholic School and Assumption School at a liturgical service for an end to the war in Ukraine. At right two of three Sister Servants of the Lord and the Virgin Matara, who serve at Assumption School, pray during the service held Feb. 24, the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During the service prayers were also offered for the protection of families of Ukrainian students. — Gerald Wutkowski Jr. photos

Catholic schools are committed to social, emotional learning

world by using knowledge and skills for the good of our society. In conjunction with academics, is the importance of schools to nurture people that are good human beings who can spread love, kindness, and compassion to themselves and others. This is the essence of Catholic education as John Paul II states in the above quote “to transmit a coherent comprehensive meaning of human life.” It has been often said that the affective leads the cognitive which means that all our actions and decisions occur in

an emotional context, and therefore cognitive functions are colored by our emotional state. When students are feeling good emotionally and in tune with their feelings they are ready to learn, make better decisions, and treat others with the kindness and respect that they so deserve.

Catholic schools have the distinct opportunity to use our Catholic identity and virtues in relation to social emotional learning to enhance the interpersonal skills of students thus making our schools a joyous and uplifting place for children to grow and learn. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults

Students put faith into action

The photos at right are from an all hands on deck Service Day March 15, as members of Mount Saint Mary Academy, Watchung, community rolled up their sleeves to aid clients served by a wide variety of local organizations.

The day began with a prayer service in the chapel before seniors attended a presentation from Tim Winn the Hillside–based Community Food Bank of New Jersey. Next, they packed meals for Rise Against Hunger, assembled Ziti for the Needy and hygiene kits.

Juniors heard a presentation from Lucy DelGuadio, a U.S. Army veteran, before packing materials for Operation Shoebox and creating First Night Kits, tote bags, bookmarks and cards for veterans.

Sophomores listened to a presentation from Elaine Liggeri of Crossroads School, Westfield, for which they assembled Easter baskets for McAuley Hall, gel packs and school kits for Crossroads students and DIY puffy paint non-slip socks for residents of McAuley Hall. Finally, freshmen made smile bags, fleece blankets and friendship bracelets for patients aided by Operation Smile.

“Our annual Service Day is a time when our school community can put into action the Gospel message of love and service to others, and be the hands and feet of Christ in the world,” said Ruth Anne Munroe, director of Campus Ministry and Student Government Moderator.

acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, set and achieve personal goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make caring and responsible decisions. All of these skills are definitely attributes any parent would want for their child. Skills that will serve our children well in the future in every aspect of their lives.

Catholic schools are committed and dedicated to forming the whole child: mind, body, and spirit. We want our students to grow in their faith and be successful and excel academically. There are many societal and personal

challenges such as social media, peer pressure, anxiety and depression, drug and alcohol use, cell phones, academic pressure, and on screen violence in video games, that the life of a child is that much more challenging and of concern for parents and educators. This is why there is more reason now more than ever to build a positive foundation of faith and interpersonal skills that will help children through the many obstacles they may face growing up. To succeed in life and in the classroom, students need to deepen their sense of who they are and how they can positively contribute to the world and a strong Catholic education combined with SEL can be the cornerstone of making this deep sense of self and their place in the world thrive and flourish.

Catholic tradition has always placed great importance on the sanctity of human life (Catholic Church, 1994) and the importance of empathy, kindness and respect for others and this strong tradition will can help address the needs of our students in today’s society. Our Catholic values combined with a strong social emotional learning continuum could be the value added antidote for our children to reach their full potential while valuing others and contributing positively to their communities.

“Catholic education aims not only to communicate fact but also transmit a coherent, comprehensive vision of life, in the conviction that the truths contained in that vision liberate students in the most profound meaning of human freedom.”

—Pope John Paul II

— photos courtesy of Mount Saint Mary Academy

By Christina Leslie Correspondent

St. Joseph School, Carteret, in the midst of its centennial celebration, proudly adheres to its goal to “believe, achieve, serve and succeed” while both looking back and aiming forward.

The school, which serves 110 children Pre-K3 to eighth grade, skillfully utilizing a mix of cutting-edge technology and time-honored values, asserts Joanne McKnight, who is in her third year as principal at St. Joe’s.

The school educates its students using a STREAM program format with technological tools as Chromebooks and Promethean boards; a half-hour elective flex program where fifth through eighth graders can explore activities such as chess, drama, academic enhancement, robotics and coding, choir or poetry, and offers afterschool programs such as cheer and dance, art, a songwriting program and summer camp. Reading, writing and arithmetic aside, McKnight is most proud of the school living its motto to “believe, achieve, serve and succeed” as it strives to raise good, Catholic citizens.

“Parents who send children here do so for security, safety and to provide them with a faith-filled education where children feel confident, are able to have a voice and stand up for right when they see wrong being done,” the principal said. “Kids here stand up and use their voice; our academic education is extremely strong and advanced to prepare

students for 21st century learning, to be global citizens and to prepare for jobs not even created yet.”

The school’s rich legacy began with the determination of Father John R. O’Connor, who had arrived at the parish in the summer of 1919, that an elementary school was needed, according to a parish-penned book on its history. By 1923, the school (and a convent) on High Street were erected, and the Grey Nuns were commissioned as staff. The first class graduated in 1925 with 12 girls and three boys and Sister Mary Eleanor, S.H., as principal. The Grey Nuns continued at the school until 1934 when they were recalled to Montreal; they were replaced by the Servine Sisters of Ladysmith, Wisc., who served the school for the next 50 years.

By 1953, the school’s 30th anniversary, its enrollment had blossomed, new classrooms had been created, and the first lay teachers were employed. A six-room addition opened in 1955, and in two years the basement was divided to form additional kindergarten classrooms. Numerous housing developments in town caused the need for a school located closer to that area, and the present school at Roosevelt Avenue was dedicated and blessed by Bishop George W. Ahr in 1961. Nicknamed the “Annex,” it

Teachers and students at St. Joseph School, Carteret are celebrating its 100th birthday in many ways, including donning clothes from its 10 decades. Pictured above in outfits from different years are teachers (from left): Jennifer Hyjack, Wendy Keller, Bridget Dean, Denise Madrigal and Gianna Hilyard. During their centennial year, students have also been researching each of the school's 10 decades and sharing what they learn on digital, social and Google platforms. The yearlong celebration is scheduled to conclude with Mass on May 6. — photos courtesy of St. Joseph School

allowed for the enrollment of more than 400 additional students.

Religious from the Dominican Sisters of Elkins Park, Pa., were added to the school staff, and an auditorium built in 1966. In the fall of 1967, both schools were operating, with 32 rooms in use — eight grades with four classes of each grade. `

The St. Joseph School community is taking a fond look back at its one century of existence. Each grade level is researching a decade, sharing its innovations on digital, social and Google platforms, and donning its clothing, from bowler hats or Zoot suits to tie-dye shirts, bell-bottom jeans and leg warmers. The year-long celebration will conclude with a Mass in the parish celebrated May 6 by Bishop James F. Checchio, followed by a gala at the Carteret Performing Arts and Events Center.

Whether it be for its innovative and stimulating academic options, or the faith-filled morals which guide its young citizens, parents have continued

to choose St. Joseph School for their children — sometimes for more than a generation.

On the St. Joseph School website, parent Ashley Webb commented her relationship with the school has endured many decades, from her days as a pre-K student in the early 1990s to the present day as a mother to eighth-grade student Xavier. She noted the teachers “have always been attentive and always willing to help.”

Webb continued, “The different extracurricular activities enable children to try new things and there is something for everyone… always new school activities, as well as yearly traditions to look forward to. The diverse close-knit community is something I valued at St. Joe’s. My hope is for my children to continue with traditions and make lifelong friends at St. Joes as I have.”

For more information on the St. Joseph School May 6 Mass and gala, call (732) 541-8946 or the main office at (732) 541-7111.

‘Close-knit community’ celebrates school’s birthday

Religious, physicians, teachers among inductees into Hall of Fame

SOMERVILLE — Immaculata High School has announced the members of its eighth Hall of Fame class, who with their induction next year will join the ranks of those previously inducted into the Hall of Fame, which includes 54 individuals and members of two teams.

The newest class was inducted as part of a March 23 gala at The Palace at Somerset Park, Somerset.

Recognized for their respective contributions to the parochial Catholic high school and its surrounding Somerville community, those who are inducted into the Hall of Fame were honored at the gala and their contributions memorialized with a formal plaque placed prominently in the front hallway of the school.

Members of the eighth Hall of Fame class are:

Dr. Kelms Amoo-Achampong, Class of 2005

Now an orthopedic surgery sports medicine fellow at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, AmooAchampong was a standout varsity football and basketball player and three-time letter-winner. He received the “Courier News” first-team all-area and “The Star Ledger” first-team all-county honors his junior and senior years. His senior year, he was named “News 12 New Jersey’s” Player of the Week, Old Spice Red Zone’s Player of the Year, and The “Star Ledger’s” Offensive County Player of the Year. Amoo-Achampong went on to play four years of Division 1 football at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in health and societies, then a Doctor of Medicine degree at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.

Rick Bobrowski ’79

Top-ranking former U.S. Marine Master Sergeant Rick Bobrowski enlisted in the military three years after graduating from Immaculata and served until his retirement in 2008. His long-spanning military career and service in Operation Desert Storm earned him the highest rank an enlisted Marine can achieve: Master Sergeant, a rank reserved for individuals who provide technical leadership and serve as specialists in their specific military occupational specialties. His professional achievements only added to the list of personal achievements he earned at Immaculata, among them his status as an honor roll student and his contributions to the school’s respective baseball, bowling, and football teams, garnering him 11 out of 12 possible varsity letters.

Hope Pellicane Boczon ’89

Second-time Immaculata High Hall of Famer and High School Teacher Hope

Pellicane Boczon was first inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, when the 1987 Immaculata girls basketball team was inducted as part of the sixth Hall of Fame class for their state championship win. Before beginning her college basketball career at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa., the four-year letter-winning high school athlete was commended for her skills on the court, earning her a long list of accolades, among them the Somerset County Interscholastic Athletic Association Scholar Athlete Award, the Spartan Club Outstanding Women’s Basketball Award, “Courier News” all-area, “Home News” all-Somerset County honors, and Mountain Valley All Conference Team honors. Boczon later went on to earn the Athlete of the Year Award during her career at Lehigh University and still holds records in their women’s basketball record book.

Dr. Robert Goitz, ’84

Orthopedic surgeon and former team physician for U.S. Paralympic athletes, Goitz received the Outstanding ScholarAthlete award at Immaculata, where he played varsity football and baseball. He went on to study biomedical engineering and graduated summa cum laude from Boston University before securing a place

in the prestigious Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Well-known in his field for his many publications on various orthopedic conditions, Goitz now serves as a professor and the chief of hand and upper extremity surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. Throughout his distinguished career, he has developed a patented prosthetic joint for the hand and has pioneered successful hand transplantations.

Teresa Lavin Kuboski ’69

An alumna and retired faculty member of Immaculata High School, Teresa (Terry) Lavin Kuboski is a longtime presence in the school community. While a student, she was the editor of the school’s newspaper and was involved in the student council and the prom committee. After graduating as class salutatorian, Kuboski went on to study at Seton Hall University in South Orange, where she graduated with honors, earning her bachelor’s degree in communications. Along with her responsibilities in the classroom, the former journalism and English teacher tutored and taught summer study skills, served as the school’s director of communications and its archivist and historian, and oversaw the production of 23 yearbooks and 20 video yearbooks. Too

voluminous to name in their entirety, Kuboski’s contributions to the school span decades and still continue today through her leadership of the school’s Spartan Memorial Mass held each February.

Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Regina Karen McNeil

Known by generations of Immaculata High School Spartans, Sister Regina faithfully served the school community for 36 years, first as a theology teacher and department chair, and then as a campus minister. Now living at the community’s motherhouse in Immaculata, Pa., Sister Karen – as she is affectionately known by Spartans past and present –once served schools in Peru, Miami, and Pennsylvania, before settling into her long tenure at Immaculata High School. She is credited with helping to pave the way for the school’s robust campus ministry program and for influencing the lives of thousands of faculty members, students, and alumni, always keeping faith at the forefront.

Dr. Gamal Mohame ’09

A frontline healthcare worker during the COVID-19 global health crisis, Emergency Medicine Doctor Gamal Mohamed was a high-achieving student athlete at Immaculata High School before beginning his career in medicine. He was a three-year starter in basketball, which earned him a varsity letter in the sport each year. His junior year, Mohamed was awarded first-team all-area and his senior year, he was named first-team allstate and Somerset County Player of the Year. Ending his Spartan basketball career with a total of 1,681 points, he was a member of back-to-back state champion boys basketball teams and the two-time tournament MVP. He earned a full scholarship to play Division 2 basketball at Le Moyne College, Syracuse, NY, a Catholic college where he studied pre-med before earning his Doctor of Medicine degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University. He now practices emergency medicine at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.

State Champion Football Teams of 1984 and 1985

The first Immaculata High School Spartan football teams to win state titles in the school’s history, the 1984 and 1985 football teams were the third school team to be inducted into the Immaculata High School Hall of Fame. Their respective wins, under the coaching of longtime Immaculata Football Coach Pierce G. Frauenheim, prompted the phrase “Repeat the Feat” to be printed on bumper stickers and plastered to cars around Somerset County.

Pictured above are Immaculata High School's eighth Hall of Fame class. Top row, from left, Dr. Kelms Amoo-Achampong, Rick Bobrowski, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Regina Karen McNeil and Dr. Robert Goitz. Second row: Teresa Lavin Kuboski, Dr. Gamal Mohame and Hope Pellicane Boczon. Below them are the school's state champion football teams of 1984 and 1985. — photos courtesy of Immaculata High School

Suitable for framing No bowling opponents spared in

Saint Joseph High’s

championship season

By Chris Donahue Editor-in-Chief

As head coach of the bowling team at Saint Joseph High School, Metuchen, Rusty Thomsen joined the six members of his squad on two trips down victory lane.

Thomsen, who was assisted this season by former Saint Joe’s wrestler Brendan Sosinski, guided the team to its first undefeated season in school history (16-0), and capped it by winning the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 1 team championship at Bowlero, North Brunswick, in late February. The Falcons posted a score of 3,189, while Group 3 champion Jackson Memorial finished second with 3,124.

It was the first state title in bowling in the school’s 61-year history.

Then, in a field of 96 at the NJSIAA individual state tournament at Bowlero Feb. 24, Thomsen watched freshman Kai Strothers defeat senior teammate Devon Kiessling, 230-180, in the stepladder final.

Even before he got to Saint Joe’s, Strothers, whose goal is to become a professional bowler, was having success at the national level. He recorded a perfect game (300) during a youth league contest at Jersey Lanes, Linden, Jan. 19, 2019, which made him first 10-year-old in New Jersey history to accomplish the feat and the second in the country.

In July 2021, he finished second at the Junior Gold National Championships in Indianapolis.

“He [Kai] has a great grasp of the game — of the total game, the fundamentals,” Thomsen said. “He is very coachable and is a sponge — he absorbs it all, then he uses it in the right manner. He is very even-keeled has supreme confidence in himself.”

Strothers’ father, Kenny Reece, was his first coach. He also works with Parker Bohn III, a member of the Professional Bowling Association Hall of Fame, said his mother, Sharonda, in a telephone interview with her and her son.

“He [Bohn] said he has never seen a child who is so consistent and has such a command of the game,” she said. It doesn’t seem like he is working hard, but hard work pays off. He practices. He studies.”

do it for my grandfather. That week, he was in the hospital,” Kai said.

Sharonda noted that fortunately, her father, who will be 84 in June, was discharged from the hospital and is rehabilitating as of mid-March. “Kai has been the one who has taken it to the next level, so he wanted to win it for his grandfather,” Sharonda said.

“We knew he was something special when he was about 8 or 9, but we used that as a bargaining chip,” she added with a laugh. “He wanted to go bowling after school and we told him, ‘If those grades aren’t here or there, if we get a notice from the teacher,’ then there was no bowling.

“It worked out because he is good in bowling and an Honor Roll student.”

Strothers and his mother said their faith in God plays a large part of their daily lives. Kai and his parents and sister, Shante, are members of Tabernacle Baptist Church, Newark. Kai is a member of its youth choir, youth ministry and a youth usher.

“He is from a religious family, so he knows the power of prayer and as long as he has God on his side, he will always be a winner, always a conqueror,” Sharonda said.

As to why Kai attends a Catholic school, she said: “I had a Catholic school education and I know the importance of a good education -- the values, discipline and structure it instills. It made me into the person that I am today – the values, the discipline, the structure, so I definitely wanted that for him.”

In addition to Strothers and Kiessling, the Falcons' roster included senior Timothy Haklar, who led the team in prayer before a practice or match, Thomsen said; juniors EJ Chin and Alexander Kozak, and freshman William Cunningham, who also competed at the 2022 Junior Gold National Championship.

According to the school’s website, the team title was won thanks to “two of the best three-game series scores” by Cunningham and Strothers, as well as the third-highest single game of the day from Kiessling.

The team’s season was also highlighted by winning championships in six of the seven tournaments they competed in, including the prestigious New Jersey Winter Classic Tournament, Thomsen said.

Top of page, Kai Strothers, a freshman at Saint Joseph High School, Metuchen, is shown competing in the New Jersey state Interscholastic Athletic Association Individual Bowling Championship at Bowlero, North Brunswick. Strothers defeated senior teammate Devon Kiessly 230-180 in the stepladder final. There were 96 competitors. Below, Kiessly, far left, poses with Rusty Thomsen, head coach; senior Timothy Haklar; junior EJ Chin; freshman William Cunningham, and senior Alexander Kozak. The Falcons won the NJSIAA Group 1 team championship.

Sharonda noted that her son’s success would not have been possible if were not for the love of the game of her father, Richard Strothers, because he got the whole family to play. Richard, although he could not see his grandson compete in the individual tournament, was still an integral part of his achievement. “It felt pretty good [in the finals] because at the same time I was trying to

Although the NJSIAA did not sponsor a bowling Tournament of Champions, Thomsen organized an unofficial match play event between the NJSIAA Group winners: Saint Joseph’s, Jackson Memorial, East Brunswick and Burlington Township. The Falcons again soared, defeating East Brunswick in the first round, 3-0, then Jackson Memorial in the final, 3-1.

photo courtesy of Saint Joseph High School

Senior ascends to historic heights for school's wrestling program

Editor-In-Chief

For Michael S. Carbone, wrestling coach at Saint Joseph High School, Metuchen, senior Giovanni Alejandro’s path to the finals of the 138-pound weight class at New Jersey Sports Interscholastic Athletic Association State Championships was an “amazing accomplishment.” And although Gio, as Carbone called him in a telephone interview after the 1-0 defeat March 4 at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, he became the first Falcons wrestler to reach the finals.

“The run you make between winning in the round of 32, then the round of 16, the quarterfinals, and the semifinals is a rush that cannot be explained,” Carbone said. “I have only had one other wrestler in my career make that run when I was at Woodbridge in 2017. At Woodbridge, it was only the second wrestler of all time in school history to make the finals and it still felt amazingly special, but at Saint Joe’s, with a program that is only fiveyears-old and never had a state finalist, it was an extremely special experience and moment.”

In addition to Alejandro, six other Falcons qualified for the state tournament: Vince Genna (157 pounds), round of 32; Evan Mendez (150), Tyler Whitford (144) and Brian Christie (190), round of 24; and Morgan Schwarz (126) and Jake Tulli (285), round of 16.

When asked what qualities are needed to succeed in wrestling and which ones Alejandro possesses, Carbone said he is a “very cerebral and smart athlete” and lauded his “toughness and competitiveness.”

“He has been described as a pit bull on the mat, which is a compliment for a wrestler because when they get between the lines and are ready for competition, you have to have no fear and wrestle your match as tough as possible,” Carbone said. “Gio has been able to do that for the last four years, but the first two years he was in high school his mind was writing checks his body could not cash.

“Come his junior year, when he grew more than seven inches in the offseason, his body finally was willing to meet his mentality and the jumps he made as a junior and senior were amazing.”

As a coach, Carbone said, one of their primary tasks is nurturing and helping wrestlers develop and improve. Once Alejandro became a junior, the coach’s goals and development started becoming more challenging to him physically and mentally.

“Gio is the type of person that responds well to that type of pressure and loves to be challenged, especially in wrestling, so his ascension to us was not surprising because we all saw how well he looked in the practice room,” Carbone said.

As part of their preparation for a match or tournament, Saint Joseph wrestlers compete against opponents that are scouted, but that is not always an option.

“We preach in our room that if we do what we do best we will have the best chance to win matches, but at the same point there are some wrestlers who are very talented out there and scouting does play a part,” Carbone said. “In the quarterfinals, we wrestled Wayne Rold from Camden Catholic who, the year before, Gio beat 4-0, but it was a highly competitive match so we went back and saw that film and also watched him down at the state tournament and made some adjustments. We felt we could score off his shots with our re-attacks and that is actually how we won in overtime 3-1 on our takedown.

“Then, in the semifinal, we ran into Joe Giordano, who last year in the regions we lost to 5-0. We felt his style had not changed very much so we made some adjustments on how we would wrestle him and Gio flipped the result from a 5-1 loss to a 5-0 win.

“In the state finals, we had a strategy of how to wrestle as well and Gio did a good job implementing it, but we fell 1-0 in the end.”

Carbone also noted how important

faith is in the daily lives of his squad, in and out of the gym.

it be your coaches, your school, yourself — faith can be a powerful thing,” Carbone said. “Gio has taken his faith and allowed it to make him a stronger person mentally and physically and because of that the growth he has shown throughout high school has been amazing. He has no fear when he is out there because he understands that his faith will carry him through the toughest times for better or worse.”

From left, Giovanni "Gio" Alejandro leaps into the arms of head coach Michael Carbone after a semifinal victory in the 138-pound division of the the State Wrestling Championships at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City; Alejandro waits to start the championship match; and holds his second-place medal joined by assistant coaches Joe Liquori (left) and Allan Jordan (right); Bobby Jordan and Carbone.

Public welcome to attend free lecture on ethics

CALDWELL — Stephen M. Meawad, Caldwell University assistant professor of theology, will kick off the institution’s annual “Research and Creative Arts Day” at noon, April 26. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Meawad, author of “Beyond Virtue Ethics: A Contemporary Ethic of Ancient Spiritual Struggle,” will present on the process of researching and writing a book, and how research in the humanities compares with research in the sciences. A book signing will follow his talk. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Following the lecture, guests are invited to the showcase of undergraduate and graduate student and faculty research presentations in the Student Center gym on campus. Undergraduate students display their projects from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; graduate students from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

As described by publisher Georgetown University Press, “Beyond Virtue Ethics: A Contemporary Ethic of Ancient Spiritual Struggles” offers a distinctive approach to virtue

ethics, arguing not simply for the importance of “struggle” to virtue ethics, but that “struggle” itself is a manifestation of virtue. In doing this, Meawad offers a way of thinking about virtue not simply as a perfected state, but as a state that is to a greater or lesser degree a manifestation of the ideal itself, which is not attainable.

Meawad affirms the concept of the unity of virtues — that is, the idea that a virtue is not a virtue unless united with other perfected virtues — which is found in God.

Insofar as humans grow in unity with God, they too participate in the unity of virtues, although always to an imperfect extent. Meawad rejects a division between ethics and spirituality and provides two concrete examples of this suggested model. The first is the application of this model to the body and its implications for contemporary sexual ethics. The second is a reintegration of ethics and Scripture through the contemporary application of an ancient Patristic divine reading.

photos courtesy of Saint Joseph High School

Wrestler pins down Edison school’s first individual championship

By Alex Lowe Correspondent

Four years ago, Apryl Coffman had never set foot on a wrestling mat. To day, she is a state champion, the first in the combined history of the St. Thomas Aquinas/Bishop Ahr High School wres tling program.

Coffman broke open a scoreless match against Jade Hahn of Donovan Catholic, Toms River, with an escape and a takedown in the second period, then delivered the winning move by execut ing a counter throw off her opponent’s headlock attempt for the fall at 5:19 to win the state title at 185 pounds.

The championship matches were held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City March 5.

“Jade Hahn was a very good com petitor,” said Coffman, a senior. “I kept my cool. I knew she was waiting on the one shot that I would always take. Meanwhile, I was waiting on her headlock, which she gave to me three times. I spent the week defending left sided headlocks because she had a very good one.”

Coffman’s journey from novice to state champ has been remarkable. Through her junior year, Coffman had posted a career mark of 24-20. But as a senior, she finished with a 33-2 record, with 20 pinfall victories.

“I started wrestling when I was 14, in my freshman year,” said Coffman, now 17. “What attracted me [to wrestling] was my brother, who played three sports including, wrestling. I used to sit and watch him after school. That was the one sport that really motivated me.

“My brother passed away a few years ago and I wanted to do something in memory of him. Having mental strength helps build confidence. Without the confidence I’ve built over the years, I don’t think I’d have been able to accomplish what I did. You can ask anybody. I’m my own worst critic. I think just being more confident in what I know how to do and being ready for anything. Just because someone scores on you doesn’t mean the match is over.”

Coffman said her moment of ultimate triumph in Atlantic City left her speechless.

“I was filled with shock when I won,” she said. “I didn’t know quite how to react in the moment. My match wasn’t the best I’ve ever wrestled, but I wrestled well enough to win.

“My family started crying when I won,” she continued. “Really, they were crying the entire weekend. They were so proud of me because I’ve come such a long way, not only physically, but mentally, too.”

Coffman wasn’t the only big performer for Saint Thomas Aquinas. Sophomore Saniyah Queen earned a second-place finish at 145 pounds. It was Queen’s second medal at the state championships since transferring as a freshman. Queen lost to Olivia Georges of DePaul High School, Wayne, in the championship match.

“That final match, I wasn’t in the

support system I always have. They were amazing. They tried to get me out of my head, but it was a different environment for me. I had been there before to watch my brother wrestle, but I never actually stepped on the mat. We went out earlier so we could get used to the mat. Ever since I first started wrestling, I have a habit of getting into my own head. That is always my biggest competitor.”

Like Coffman, Queen was inspired to wrestle by her brother.

“I had wanted to wrestle since the age of 8,” she said. “I was never allowed to because there weren’t too many girls wrestling then. When I was allowed to my freshman year [as a 14-year-old], that

is when I started.”

St. Thomas Aquinas High School is rapidly developing a reputation as a powerhouse in girls’ wrestling. The success of Coffman and Queen at the state level only serves as an exclamation point.

“To be a part of what Apryl and Saniyah and the boys’ program is doing right now is something very special,” said coach Nicholas Tonzola. “Girls athletics here has always been fantastic and when the state sanctioned girls wrestling, a lot of people that I’ve known in the wrestling community reached out to me immediately and said that I was going to get my first state champ because the girls’ sports there at STAHS is great. It was true and it is very special. Just talking about it gives me goose bumps. Since Apryl won, I

Successful Season

The girls bowling team at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Edison, finished the season with a 17-1-1 record, including 12-0 in the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) White Division to win that crown and earn the No. 1 seed in the GMC tournament, where they finished tied for third. The team then won the North 2 Group 1 state sectional championship for the second consecutive season, the only ones in school history for girls bowling, and finished second by 50 pins out of 50 teams in the Group 1 state championship, said head coach Richard Maddock, who was named White Division and GMC coach of the year.

have received in the neighborhood of 300 messages from people that were involved in our pro gram through the decades, just sending their support and their love.”

Coffman is receiving interest from several colleges and universities where she hopes to continue her wrestling career. Queen will return as a favorite to contend for the state title that has proved elusive during her first two seasons.

“What I love about Apryl and Saniyah is that they genuinely love the sport of wrestling,” said Tonzola. “It is a grind. It is a grueling sport both physically and mentally. Their love of the sport shows through their work ethic and their attitude in practice and through their ability to deal with success and setbacks.”

In photo, from left: freshman Nell Kudirka, seniors Nika Kudirka and Alexandra Sardis, freshman Kimberly Chin, senior Alyssa Ingram 2023 and junior Victoria Aldridge. Sardis, Aldridge and Chin were all named to the GMC All White Division team; Sardis and Aldridge to the GMC All Conference team. photo courtesy of Saint Thomas Aquinas High School

Left, senior Apryl Coffman of St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Edison, stands atop the podium next to runner-up Jade Hahn at Board walk Hall, Atlantic City, after winning the 185-pound weight class at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Wrestling Championship. Right, Coffman, who had a 32-2 record this season, poses with teammate Saniyah Queen at the school. Queen, a sophomore, finished with a 22-3 record this season at 145 pounds, including second place at the state tournament. St. Thomas Aquinas High School and Alex Lowe photos right mindset,” said Queen, who posted a 22-3 record this year. “I did have the same great

Pope Francis: 10 titles for

Pope has taught faithful much about tenderness, spiritual generosity

Before he was known for anything else, Pope Francis was known as “the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years.”

Over the last 10 years, he has led the Church with energy and optimism, traveling four times a year, on average. Usually he starts and ends those trips by praying before the fifth-century Byzantine icon Salus Populi Romani (“Our Lady, health of the Roman people”), because, “With the Virgin, I go with certainty.”

Rarely seen with a rosary, Francis’ devotion to the Blessed Virgin is nevertheless deep and transparent for Mary, he has written, “is always listening to us!”

So, we quickly gleaned that the 266th pope would be a pope of the Patroness of All Humanity. As we’ve grown to know him, we have also learned to call Pope Francis:

THE POPE OF

Pragmatic Humility

When a stunned-looking Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was announced in St. Peter’s Square, his self-effacing remark (that the conclave seemed to have “gone to the end of the world” to find a new bishop of Rome), led immediately a request for prayers -- first for his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, and then for, well, everybody: “Let us pray for each other [and] for the entire world because there is great brotherhood in the world.”

Eschewing the papal apartments to live in a guesthouse for visiting clergy, Pope Francis (in his first act of papal con tinuum) packed his own bags, carrying them to his new digs.

POPE OF Protecting the Environment

Tenderness even slips into his thoughts on ecology. Upon receiving the fisherman’s ring, Pope Francis preached, “... let us be protectors of creation, [of] God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another, and of the environment,” adding, “Protecting demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness.” In his groundbreaking encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” he extolled St. Joseph who, “shows great tenderness, which is not a mark of the weak but of those who are genuinely strong. … That is why he was proclaimed custodian of the universal Church,” who can, “inspire us to work with generosity and tenderness in protecting this world…” (242)

Pandemic Prayer and Consolation

In a fearsome and grave global moment, as the whole world went into lockdown -- isolated and prevented from being with loved ones dying all alone -- Pope Francis brought us into supplication before God, making “An Extraordinary Prayer in the Time of Pandemic” on the evening of March 27, 2020. Starkly alone in St. Peter’s Square, accompanied only by a 15th-century crucifix, the pope gave voice to what all humanity was feeling: “Thick darkness has gathered … taken over our lives, filling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void … we find ourselves afraid and lost.” With a monstrance, he blessed the world with the Holy Eucharist, and then -- repairing to the interior of St. Peter’s Basilica -- invited us, via satellite, into an hour’s contemplation before the merciful Christ, there present.

OF The Poor

THE POPE

In his 2016 apostolic letter, “Misericordia et Misera,” Pope Francis established the first World Day of the Poor, later kicking it off in the Paul VI Hall, sharing a beautifully catered luncheon with the destitute of Rome. The meal became a tradition that -- pausing for two years due to the global pandemic -- was joyfully reestablished in 2022. Even earlier, however, the pontiff had arranged for showers to be provided for the homeless near the Bernini colonnades embracing St. Peter’s Square. Reminding critics that Jesus said the poor would always be among us, (Jn 12:8) the pope wrote, “There is no alibi to justify not engaging with the poor when Jesus has identified himself with each of them.”

OF Pastoral Tenderness

THE

Tenderness comes up frequently in Pope Francis’ remarks, and they are of a piece with his concerns for the poor. Tenderness suggests intimacy, which is what Francis models when taking a meal with the downtrodden and engaging with them. He has developed an informal “Theology of Tenderness” demonstrating how small things most take for granted -- a shower, clean clothes, and sometimes simply being seen and greeted instead of ignored -- affirm human dignity. “Tenderness is something greater than the logic of the world,” Francis told a 2022 audience. “It is an unexpected way of doing justice.”

Plain (and Plane) Talk

During 40 trips abroad, Francis -- who has expressed a dislike of excessive formalities -- has often gone “off script” amid in-flight press conferences. His remarks, especially when taken out of context, became sensations. While returning from the 2013 World Youth Day gathering, the pope was asked about homosexual men in the clergy. He answered, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord, and has good will, who am I to judge?” Unsurprisingly, parties for and against cherry-picked the comment and controversy ensued. In “The Name of God is Mercy” -- his book-length interview with Andrea Tornielli published in 2016 -- Francis addressed the brouhaha head-on, saying he had paraphrased “the Catechism of the Catholic Church, where it says that these people should be treated with delicacy and not be marginalized.” He

THE

POPE

THE POPE OF

THE POPE OF

10 years

reminded us that accompaniment has precedent in the Gospels, and thus we should, “... Show goodwill, show them the way and accompany them along it.”

Marginalized

The pope’s concern for people on the margins is sincere and deep. Early in his pontificate -- while he was still surprisingly nimble for an older man missing a portion of a lung -- he habitually waded into the crowds to greet people, kiss babies and give his security detail agita. On one memorable occasion, encountering a man whose face was covered in tumors thanks to a genetic disorder, Pope Francis, like his saintly namesake, gently kissed and embraced him -- a man who a beauty-obsessed world found hard to look at and easy to relegate to the sidelines. “We will not find the Lord unless we truly accept the marginalized,” Francis preached at a 2015 Mass for new cardinals. “Truly, dear brothers, the Gospel of the marginalized is where our credibility is at stake, is discovered and is revealed.”

By Elizabeth Scalia, OSV News

We might alliteratively understand Pope Francis in other ways, and his encyclicals would support us:

THE POPE OF Perpetual Hope “Lumen Fidei”

“The Light of Faith” 10

Prayerful Joy

“Evangelii Gaudium”

“The

He is slowing now. At the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI, it seemed that the pope was suffering as he stood in farewell, before the casket was borne into St. Peter’s for interment. Sometimes using a wheelchair, he recently made a plea for those enduring chronic pain.

As this formerly vigorous bishop of Rome winds down, we remember these moments of greatness and know the pope by his fruits, all while acknowledging what work is yet undone -- that scandal and crises within the Church remain insufficiently addressed -- that people are still in pain. We can do that prayerfully and compassionately, remembering the intentions of a pope who -- now perhaps in his twilight -- is daily wrestling with substantial and challenging issues within the culture, the Church and his beloved Society of Jesus. Doing so would demonstrate that we’ve learned something about tenderness, and spiritual generosity, over these past 10 years. Scalia is culture editor for OSV News. Follow her on Twitter @theanchoress.

STATEMENT OF BISHOP JAMES

F. CHECCHIO ON THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF POPE FRANCIS

Although we pray for the Holy Father each day, today we join together in prayers of thanksgiving for Pope Francis as we mark the tenth anniversary of his election as the Vicar of Christ. I was fortunate to be in St. Peter’s Square the day of his election with the seminarians and faculty of the North American College while I was working in Rome. What struck me from the beginning about Pope Francis was his closeness to the poor and his simple way of life. He told his newly appointed Papal Almoner, “You won’t need a desk; I want you to go out and look for the poor”. After becoming Pope, he famously returned to the hotel where he stayed before the Conclave at to pay his bill. The seminarians and young priests in Rome at the North American College had a great love for the poor and this common love brought about an instant attraction for Pope Francis.

I have certainly heard many of our laity, priests and clerics of our diocese express this too, grateful for the Holy Father’s example. Jesus told us that whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for Him. We have since witnessed and heard him encourage us all to be especially attentive to the poor but also to see Christ in those in all those who live on the fringes of our regular world and anyone in need of God’s mercy. This is the Holy Father’s call for us to be a synodal Church, walking attentively with one another and reinforcing our identity as the Body of Christ.

We thank God for gift that Pope Francis is to our Church.

Ad Multos Annos, Holy Father!

Captions: 1 Pope Francis prays as he leads a Lenten penance service March 17, 2023, in the Rome parish of St. Mary of Graces at Trionfale. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

2 Pope Francis greets people during a meal for the poor hosted by new Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, in the dining hall at the Vatican June 29. (CNS photo/Gianna Iasilli) 3 Pope Francis meets March 8, 2019, at the Vatican with representatives of the world’s religious traditions and experts in the fields of development, the environment and health care. The group was meeting at the Vatican March 7-9 to discuss the contributions religions can make to achieving the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals in a way that responds to the needs of the poor and respects the environment. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) 4 Pope Francis blesses a woman at the end of his weekly general audience Feb. 22, 2023, in the Vatican audience hall. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) 5 Pope Francis holds the monstrance as he delivers his extraordinary blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) during a prayer service in the portico of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican March 27, 2020. The service was livestreamed in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) 6 Pope Francis speaks about the role of the Holy Spirit in evangelization during his weekly general audience Feb. 22, 2023, in the Vatican audience hall. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) 7 Pope Francis receives a gift from an Indigenous leader during a meeting with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities at Maskwacis, Alberta, July 25, 2022. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) 8 Pope Francis stands with a group of children during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 22, 2023. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) 9 Pope Francis waves as he greets people during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 22, 2023. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) 10 Pope Francis greets the crowd as he leads the Angelus from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Jan. 22, 2023. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

THE POPE PROPONENT OF The

Most Rev. James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA Bishop of Metuchen

Moment by moment, sign by sign and word by word, Pope Francis has defined his papacy in the 10 years since his election to the See of Peter. Through iconic gestures and memorable quotes, the Holy Father has used his service in the Petrine ministry to call Catholics throughout the world to be animated, living bearers of the Gospel. As the Church marks the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ election as bishop of Rome, now is an appropriate time to ask: What is the charism of Pope Francis? What is his special contribution to the Church?

On this occasion, we have the opportunity to revisit the quintessential Pope Francis moments. If viewed as moments of the past and points of an agenda to be untangled or interpreted, they remain constrained by the unreflective habits of thought we use to evaluate our celebrity and political figures. But if we view them as insights into Christian living, they become more powerful — timeless invitations to better conform our lives to the Gospel.

Initially, some thought Pope Francis might have chosen his name in honor of the saintly Navarrese missionary, Francis Xavier, who was a cofounder of the Society of Jesus. The Vatican clarified early on that the pope’s namesake was, in fact, Francis of Assisi. During the election in the Sistine Chapel, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, archbishop emeritus of São Paulo, Brazil, and prefect emeritus of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy, congratulated the newly elected pope, Jorge Bergolio, and urged him, “Don’t forget the poor!” Those words struck Cardinal Bergoglio, who immediately thought of Francis, known to be a patron of peacemaking and for the care of creation.

The day after his election, Pope Francis, in his first act as pope, visited Santa Maria Maggiore, where he paused to pray at the tomb of Pope St. Pius V. Commentators took special delight in the image of the Jesuit pope named Francis praying before a Dominican saint. But the visit had deeper symbolism still. Pope Pius V was a renowned reformer of the Roman Curia. He was famous for walking the cold, marble floors of the apostolic palace barefoot and for his special affection and care for the poor of Rome. St. Pius V even forewent the customary festival thrown for a newly elected pope and gave the money instead to the poor, personally washing their feet and caring for the sick.

The pope’s daily homilies during the Masses he offered and preached from Casa Santa Marta provided insight into the spiritual life widely appreciated throughout the Church. His regular references to Satan, denouncing the prince of lies, and offering clear, practical advice on how to better hear the voice of Jesus were appreciated by many. For years, around 50 people a day joined him for those Masses, with 25 of those 50 seats reserved for Romans, so that local pastors could bring groups of parishioners to pray with the pope.

On Easter Sunday 2013, a photo of Pope Francis took the world by storm. While touring St. Peter’s Square after Mass, the pope embraced 8-year-old Dominic Gondreau. The young boy with cerebral palsy was lifted up by the crowd to the pope in the popemobile, and he gently embraced him and blessed him. Dominic, who suffers from extremely limited physical mobility, raised his arm and put it around the pope. The image became iconic, reprinted on newspapers

and carried on websites across the globe, showcasing the pope’s special love for the sick and disabled.

Pope Francis’ special love for the poor was given greater attention with his concrete actions.

He has regularly dined with those experiencing poverty, including on the World Day of the Poor, which he established during the Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2016. Pope Francis has supported mobile health clinics in St. Peter’s Square and renovated a public restroom to make showers available to the homeless.

In his writings, Pope Francis has drawn the attention of the global Church to themes dear to his patron. In his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei, he concluded Pope Benedict XVI’s trilogy of encyclicals on the theological virtues, calling for special attention to be given to recovering the light of faith in our day. In Laudato Si’, which begins with a canticle of praise authored by Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis urges the Church to make increasingly greater efforts for the care of creation. In Fratelli Tutti, he called for members of the Church to work for the common good of the social order, fostering interreligious dialogue and peace.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, Pope Francis arranged for a special urbi et orbi address to be made from St. Peter’s Square. In an unforgettable scene, with blue police lights eerily flashing and fires flickering, Pope Francis called the Church to place our confidence in Christ, who would care for his beloved boat, the Church, just as he once tended to the apostles tossed about the stormy seas. The Eucharistic Benediction, with Pope Francis standing alone, holding a monstrance, braced

Pope Francis leads a prayer service in an empty St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 27, 2020. At the conclusion of the service the pope held the Eucharist as he gave an extraordinary blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world). The service was livestreamed in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

CNS photo/Vatican Media

against all the suffering of the world, was a sight that will not be erased swiftly from the annals of Church history.

In his apostolic journeys, the pope has diligently worked to foster relationships with the Islamic world. Pope Francis was the first pope to visit Iraq, traveling to the war-torn nation to offer healing. Several years before, Pope Francis made history by becoming the first ever pontiff to visit the Arabian Peninsula, traveling to the United Arab Emirates in 2019. The Abrahamic Family House, a new interfaith center which includes a church, a synagogue and a mosque, came about as a fruit of that pilgrimage.

And what will the future icons be?

Some continue to see great symbolism in his visit to the tomb of St. Celestine V last summer. Celstine V was the last pope to voluntarily resign before Benedict XVI did so in 2013. As rumors about the pope’s health rise and fall, he offers little indication that a resignation is anywhere on the horizon. Perhaps the best indication, like so much of his papacy, is to be found in the example of his namesake, Francis, who followed Christ in zealous service to the last of days.

Our Sunday Visitor Editorial Board: Father Patrick Briscoe, Gretchen R. Crowe, Scott P. Richert, Scott Warden, York Young

The enduring moments of Pope Francis’ first 10 years

Falcons soar on basketball court deep into postseason play

By Benjamin Chadwick

For the first time in five years, the Saint Joseph High School boys basketball team found themselves in a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association State Tournament Sectional Championship.

Their journey to postseason play was led by seniors Josh Ingram and Anthony Williams and junior Jeremy Clayville, a transfer from DePaul Catholic, Wayne.

“I knew I would be stepping into a much bigger role this season,” Ingram said. “With seniors such as our leading scorer Ethan Simmon graduating, not only would I be the primary ball handler, but I’d also be our senior captain.”

Ingram’s 21.6 points per game led the team to their eventual 18-11 record with several wins against top 20 teams in the state and high seeds in the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Tournament and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public A, South Tournament.

In the first round of the GMC Tournament against Spotswood, the Maglio Gymnasium was packed for a very special occasion, Ingram was just 15 points away from joining the prestigious 1,000-point club.

Ingram found himself one point shy of the milestone in the second quarter, when a floater from the paint sent the gym into a frenzy and Ingram into the history books.

“I found myself counting down the points with every shot,” Ingram said. “It was one of my goals when I got to Saint Joe’s -- to see my name go up on that banner and to be in the company of basketball legends like Jay Williams and Karl Anthony-Towns is truly an honor.”

Ingram led the Falcons with a career-high 38 points as the Falcons took home a thrilling 75-72 victory over the Chargers.

After a comfortable win in the quarterfinals over South Plainfield, the

Falcons’ GMC Tournament run came to a close in the semifinals, 91-49, to St. Thomas Aquinas, Edison, but there was still more to play for.

Entering the state tournament, the No. 6-seed Falcons enjoyed a 74-61 victory over The Pingry School, Bernards, in the first round of the state tournament, followed by a 78-75 win at No. 3 Immaculata High, Somerville. Ingram scored 33 points in the victory for his fifth 30-point game in a 12-game span.

In the section semifinals, the Falcons hosted No. 10 Rutgers Prep, and did not disappoint. Trailing by 10 points late in the third quarter, Ingram, Williams and Clayville led a fierce second-half comeback to punch the Falcons’ ticket to the

finals for the first time in five years.

Williams led the way with 24 points and 18 rebounds, while Ingram added 17 of his own points. Clayville swished a three- pointer during the late rally that sent the Falcon Flock into a madhouse.

In the NJSIAA Non-Public A, South championship game against Union Catholic, Scotch Plains, at Lenape High, Medford, and the Falcons rallied for 31 points in the fourth quarter, but fell 86-72.

“Nobody outside our locker room thought we had a shot at making a run,” head coach Jan Cocozziello said. “We only knew that our players and coaches believed in the team, and that’s all we needed.”

Chadwick is a senior at Saint Joseph High School

Top photo, Anthony Williams, a senior forward at Saint Joseph High School, Metuchen, lofts a shot during the No. 6 seeded Falcons’ 71-68 victory over No. 3 seed and host Immaculata High School, Somerville, in a NJSIAA Non-Public A, South quarterfinal round game. Williams, who scored 12 points, is watched by a teammate, junior forward Owen Griffin. Senior guard Josh Ingram led the Falcons with 33 points. Davis Adams led Immaculata with 16 points. Below right, Ingram, who led the Falcons in scoring this season with a 21.6 points per game average, assesses his options with the ball. Below left, the two teams stand for the National Anthem.

“ Nobody outside our locker room thought we had a shot at making a run. We only knew that our players and coaches believed in the team, and that’s all we needed.”

—Jan Cocozziello, head coach, boys basketball, Saint Joseph High

— Marlo Williamson photos

School remembers deceased alumni, educators, friends at liturgy

SOMERVILLE – A line formed at the back of the gymnasium of Immaculata High School, each person in line holding a carnation in the school’s colors -- blue and white -- in remembrance of a departed loved one. One by one, they processed to the front, presenting their carnations to be placed before the altar for the school’s 19th annual Spartan Memorial Mass held Feb. 26.

Dappling the gymnasium before reaching their final resting place, the individual carnations were grouped in vases alongside a yearbook emblazoned with the school’s motto, “Unitas Caritas,” meaning unity and charity, a symbolic display not lost on the hundreds who were gathered for the Mass.

“We gather here today to honor the lives of our beloved Spartans, those who’ve gone before us and those we continue to carry on in our hearts and in our prayers,” Principal Edward Webber, a 1999 graduate of the school, remarked before the start of the Mass. “Their absence,

felt so deeply by those left behind, requires that we gather as followers of Christ and as a larger Immaculata family to celebrate life after death and to place our trust in the victory of the cross,” he said.

For many, the Mass was a reunion of sorts, but also a reminder that this life, while only temporary, is meant to be lived in friendship with Christ and one another.

In his homily for the Mass, held the first Sunday of Lent, Msgr. Joseph G. Celano, pastor and director of schools, said discipleship “is a way of patterning our lives on the self-giving of Jesus the Lord, taking unto ourselves the humble role of the servant, and forgetting about ourselves,” hallmarks of the ways in which many of the deceased members of the school community led their lives.

“Repentance, my friends, is nothing less than making those real-life changes that help us to conform more completely to Christ and his teaching,” said Msgr. Ceklano, who was flanked throughout parts of the

Mass by Church of the Immaculate Conception deacons Frank J. Quinn and John R. Czekaj, both members of the class of 1966, the first graduating class of Immaculata.

Honoring the hundreds of alumni, faculty, staff, and benefactors who have passed away since the school’s founding in 1962, and comforting their loved ones, retired faculty member Terry Lavin Kuboski gave the closing remarks, saying it is a comfort for the annual Mass to be held in the school’s gymnasium.

“Nearly everyone in this booklet has walked on these hardwood floors,” Kuboski said, referencing the worship aid for the Mass and noting the gymnasium had once temporarily served as the parish’s worship space when a fire burned the former church building to the ground in the 1960s. “In this room, we had Sunday Mass, weekly confessions, first Friday liturgies, retreats, and graduations. Of course, we also had physical education classes, basketball games, Spartan Spirit

game nights, dances, concerts, back-toschool nights, and maybe even a prom or two,” she said, adding that the gymnasium “is a fitting location, representing our faith, as well as our deceased Spartans.”

A 1969 graduate who helped establish the Memorial Mass and is soon to join the ranks of those inducted into the Immaculata High School Hall of Fame, Kuboski said it is a blessing to have a “three-tiered support system” for grief.

“The first is our faith, the second is our family, friends, and grief communities, like this one; and the third is our deceased loved ones, who inspire us daily,” she said.

“Recovering from grief takes as long as it takes -- no more, no less,” Kuboski advised. “Be kind to yourself. Everyone’s grief journey is custom-made. There is no roadmap. Take the time you need to heal from your heartbreak, but honor your loved one’s memory by not becoming mired in sadness, but allowing their joy to shine through you.”

Government award seeks to improve Felician Internet access

RUTHERFORD — Felician University is the recipient of a new, $2.3 million grant that will upgrade and expand the university’s broadband infrastructure, computing resources and online technologies, to make remote learning fully accessible.

The grant will also be used to teach telehealth best practices to three cohorts of Felician students in nursing, counseling psychology, and behavior and autism studies.

Felician will partner with three organizations serving communities who will benefit from the collaboration of the telehealth-based services and resources.

They are the Franciscan Community Development Center’s Community Based Psychotherapy Center, Mount Carmel

Guild Academy, and the South Bergen Jointure Commission.

This U.S. Department of Commerce grant is part of the Connecting Minor ity Communities Pilot Program and the Biden Administration’s Internet for All initiative. Funding from this grant pro gram aims to expand technology and reli able high-speed internet access across the nation.

Felician University is a Hispanicserving and Minority-serving institution with undergraduate enrollment that is 39 perent Hispanic and 59 percent minority. The university is one of only 12 minorityserving institutions of higher education to receive this grant.

“We are very grateful for this $2.3

million award. The grant is important to Felician as it allows us to achieve our goals of building broadband capacity and furthering broadband access, while improving digital skills across the institution

and in the communities we serve,” said James W. Crawford III, president.

The university leads on the grant are Stephanie McGowan, dean of the School of Education, who will serve as project manager; Mildred Mihlon, dean of the School of Arts & Sciences; Deanna Valente, dean of the Center for Academic Technology; Dr. Daria Waszak, associate dean in the School of Nursing; Dr. John Burke, executive director of the Center for Autism and disability Research in Education; Dr. Dan Mahoney, director of the Graduate Psychology Program; and Christopher Finch, assistant vice president of IT.

Elizabeth Burke also played a critical role in the successful award of the grant.

Michael Slyman ’79, together with his membrance of his brother Craig Slyman ’85 at Immaculata High School’s 19th annual Spartan Memorial Mass.

Former faculty member and Immaculata High School alumna Terry Lavin Kuboski ’69 gives closing remarks, honoring the departed and encouraging their loved ones who were present for the Spartan Memorial Mass. —All photos by Tara Smith

Msgr. Joseph G. Celano elevates the host, while Deacon Frank J. Quinn ’66 elevates the chalice at the Spartan Memorial Mass, held Feb. 26 in the Immaculata High School gymnasium.

Avery Harabin, daughter of Dennis “Terry” Harabin ’87, who passed away in June last year, processes to the altar holding a white carnation in memory of her father.

Brothers and sisters, this Gospel traces a path for us too. It teaches us how important it is to remain with Jesus even when it is not easy to understand everything he says and does for us. In fact, it is by staying with him that we learn to recognize on his face the luminous beauty of love he gives us, even when it bears the marks of the cross. And it is in his school that we

Can Body of Christ save civilization?

By Dr. R. Jared Staudt

We often repeat that the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. What happens when this source and summit has been rejected by a majority of Catholics? We received a wakeup call from the 2019 Pew survey on Eucharistic belief, or lack thereof, among Catholics (with only 31 percent affirming transubstantiation), and ever since we have been scrambling about what to do. The United States bishops have initiated a multiyear Eucharistic revival, which began this last summer and will culminate next July in the first Eucharistic Congress in our country since 1926. The revival provides us with a great opportunity for renewal of faith and practice, but we also need to address the root cause of the crisis.

Should we have been surprised by the Pew survey? An overwhelming majority of Catholics do not attend Mass regularly. I suppose if Catholics believed in the Real Presence, they would make more of an effort to go to Mass to receive it. For decades, the Church offered abysmal catechesis — a problem that has been rectified somewhat in the last 20 years, at least

in terms of the quality of content offered. The crisis goes beyond instruction, however, needing a deeper and more holistic approach to catechesis.

The Eucharist, more than simply a belief, is meant to be lived. Our revival will be successful if Jesus’ sacramental presence in the Church truly does become the source and summit of the Christian life. The Eucharist is meant to be the center of how we live, shaping everything we do and making it an expression of our communion with Christ. Catechesis is meant to be an apprenticeship in how to live as a Christian. Even though one of its goals is to teach the faith, it is not meant to simply convey information, but rather focus on deepening faith and help the catechized to appropriate their faith and live it out in prayer, charity, and mission. We need a catechesis of the Eucharist that will help Catholics to receive the graces offered in the sacrament and respond to them concretely. If we embrace this gift more deeply, we will see transformation in the Church and also the world.

Can the Eucharist save civilization? This is the title of my new book, which seeks to explain how Eucharist builds cul-

learn to see the same beauty on the faces of the people who walk beside us every day – family, friends, colleagues who take care of us in the most varied ways. How many luminous faces, how many smiles, how many wrinkles, how many tears and scars reveal love around us! Let us learn to recognize them and to fill our hearts with them. And then let us set out in order

to bring the light we have received to others as well, through concrete acts of love (cf. 1 Jn 3:18), diving into our daily occupations more generously, loving, serving, and forgiving with greater earnestness and willingness. The contemplation of God’s wonders, the contemplation of God’s face, of the Lord’s face, must move us to the service of others.

ture, an entire way of life that flows forth from its divine presence. Jesus’ sacramental presence makes us his tabernacles in the world, sanctifying all that we do. There is no more powerful force in the universe for change, for the renewal of not only our own lives but the entire world. God changes the world not simply by sweeping away the problems of our society and setting up a perfect form of government; his kingdom is not of this world, of course. He changes the world by changing us and gives us a mission to take the graces he gives us and put them into action. The Eucharist is our plan of action, the source that provides the true solution to our problems and the summit toward which we aspire: communion with God and others.

In our revival, we should think big. If we simply aim at better teaching or hosting a few events, we will make an impact, but perhaps not one that will turn the lives of Catholics upside down. That is what we need: a complete revitalization of Catholics through the awesome mystery of the Eucharist. Look at what the Eucharist has done in the past. It gave Christians courage to withstand lions in the Colosseum, guided monks in creating oases of prayer in a barbarian world, inspired the construction of transcendently beautiful churches, led missionaries across the globe, and has kept the Church alive, somehow, through so many crises in the modern world.

The Eucharist is the greatest force for change. It can and will transform us into other Christs for the world. We are not simply individuals, however, no matter how much the world tells us that we are autonomous. Civilization, which is itself a communion of people, can be saved by changing and transforming those living within it. By transforming our lives, God will begin the work of transforming our family, our parish, our work, and, over time, even our civilization. This should be the goal of our Eucharistic revival.

Dr. Staudt’s column is syndicated by the “Denver Catholic,” the official publication of the Archdiocese of Denver

Spread the good news of Gospel with unbridled joy

By Deacon Charles Paolino

A faith-formation teacher was telling children about the death and resurrection of Jesus — events that we will soon commemorate. A boy asked the teacher what Jesus said when he first emerged from the tomb. A little girl raised her hand and said, “I know! I know!” So the teacher said, “OK, what was it?” And the girl answered, “When Jesus came out of the tomb, he said, ‘Tah dah!’”

If we laugh at that story, it’s appropriate, because some prominent figures in the Church have written about the Resurrection as a practical joke God played on the devil. In the fourth century, for example, St. Augustine, St. Gregory of Nyessa, and St. John Chrysostom, all wrote in that vein.

This idea gave rise to what was known as the “risus paschalis” — the Easter laugh. And why not laugh? In the Resurrection, death was defeated, original sin was broken, despair was abolished, Satan was shown the way

out. Christ was victorious. A good laugh seems in order.

This is why the Church is decorated the way it is, and why the hymns are filled with such exuberance on Easter, and why, after not having uttered the words during these weeks of Lent, we sing again, “Glory to God in the highest,” and “alleluia!”

The books of the New Testament that tell us about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are known collectively as “the gospel.” The word means “good news,” not “tragedy.”

The Gospel is the good news of God’s inexhaustible mercy, the good news of God’s eagerness to forgive sin for those who come to him in penance. It is the good news that the God who gives us life as we know it now, yearns to share with us his everlasting life.

This is a lesson we can infer from the ministry of Pope Francis. He is not shy about calling attention to the violence and neglect and corruption and injustice and selfishness that plague the world. But he is also not shy about putting on a

clown’s nose or a sombrero or joining in someone’s selfie, or flashing that famous “thumbs up” and that big grin. Francis does such things because he believes in the resurrection, he believes in God’s promise of eternal life, and he wants to show his joy to the world.

Pope Francis wants to spread the good news, as Jesus called on all of his followers to do, and he realizes that he can’t do that while mired in gloom. He called one of his most important documents “Evangelii gaudium,” “the joy of the Gospel,” and in that document he wrote:

“One of the more serious temptations that stifles boldness and zeal is a defeatism which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, sourpusses.”

There is a lot of casual talk about the Church imposing on people a culture of self-hatred and guilt. But Francis knows that is not what Jesus taught. Jesus taught that people are intrinsically good, not evil. He taught that if a person acknowledges and repents his mistakes, God will not only forgive them but forget them,

again and again and again if necessary, so that there is no need for guilt.

This is why Jesus associated with the people others had marginalized, discarded, despised—prostitutes, thieves, dishonest public officials, the sick and handicapped whose conditions people of Jesus’ generation somehow associated with sin.

Francis knows that Jesus said through his preaching and his personal interactions that the many resurrections of life in this world are within the grasp of every person — no matter how dismal things may appear.

Francis invites us to be refreshed by the body and blood of the risen Christ and then to go out where people can see by our joy that we believe in the resurrection, that we trust God’s promise of eternal life, that we have hope in God’s endless mercy and we extend that mercy to others — that we get the joke on the devil, that we give ourselves over to the laughter of Easter.

Charles Paolino is a retired permanent deacon for the Diocese of Metuchen

The center point of all history

Passion Sunday (A)

By Msgr. John N. Fell

“And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him” (Mt 27:31). With these somber words, St. Matthew begins his account of Jesus’ crucifixion. The forces of sin and darkness that had conspired against Jesus throughout his ministry were now to have their way — Jesus would die on the cross, the most painful and humiliating means of execution allowed in the Roman Empire. But, the supreme irony of all this was that this very death, the seeming moment of evil’s triumph, would become the center point of all history, the moment when the power of sin and darkness would suffer its ultimate defeat.

The tradition of reading St. Matthew’s account of Jesus’ suffering and death on Passion Sunday has existed in Rome since the reign of Pope Leo the Great (440-461). It is this account which guides our reflections this Passion Sunday.

St. Matthew recalls that Jesus was crucified at a place called “Golgotha” (the Place of the Skull). According to Roman practice, the condemned person was forced to carry the crossbeam from his place of imprisonment to the place of execution. Once they arrived on site, the condemned person was tied or nailed (or both) to the crossbeam which was then hoisted onto the vertical pole. Once raised upon the cross, death was often a slow, agonizing process as the victim eventually succumbed to either suffocation or dehydration.

completely true — Jesus is the King of all creation.

We next learn of three groups that mocked Jesus as he hung dying on the cross. First, the passers-by mocked him, “Save yourself, if you are the Son of God”

(Mt 27:40); blinded by their own hatred and ignorance, they failed to recognize it was Jesus’ perfect obedience to his Father’s mission that had led him to the cross. Jesus would prove himself God’s faithful Son by remaining on the cross, not by using his power to abandon it.

Next, the chief priests and leaders of the people jeered, “So he is the King of Israel! Let him come down from the cross now and we will believe him!” (Mt 27:42). These religious and political leaders failed to understand that David’s throne had been re-shaped into the cross; from the cross, Jesus would reign as King forever — the Lord’s promise to David through the Prophet Nathan had been fulfilled (see 2 Samuel 7:8-16).

Finally, St. Matthew records, “from noon onwards, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon”

(Mt 27:45). At that time, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46). Jesus’ words emphasize two important truths: first, the reality of this event. Mocked, beaten, nailed to the cross, and dying, Jesus suffered horribly for our sins. The agony of his torments caused him to wail out in pain — the price for our sins was terrible indeed. But second, Jesus’ words affirm his complete trust in his Heavenly Father and the mission he had given him. What the crowd of Jesus’ day would have understood was that the words, “My God, My God . . .” were the opening lines of Psalm 22, a psalm which recounts the terrible sufferings of an innocent man who nevertheless never loses faith in God. Even though he suffers greatly, he knows that the Father will save and raise him up. Jesus’ last words turn out to be a prayer of trust in his Heavenly Father, after which “he gave up his spirit” (Mt 27:50).

Margaret Clitherow

c. 1553-1586

March 25

Born into a prosperous York Protestant family when Catholicism was forbidden, Margaret married wealthy Protestant John Clitherow, whose brother became a Catholic priest. Margaret soon became a Catholic and set up Mass centers in her home and a nearby inn. She was imprisoned three times for failing to attend Protestant services. When officials confirmed the secret Masses, Margaret was sentenced to death for treason. She died a martyr, pressed to death by a heavy load.

Saints

SCRIPTURE SEARCH®

Gospel for April 2, 2023

Matthew 21:1-11

Following is a word search based on the Processional Gospel reading for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, Cycle A. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle.

A COLT UNTIE THEM ANYTHING SEND SPOKEN PROPHET DAUGHTER ZION FOAL CLOAKS LARGE ON THE ROAD THE TREES HOSANNA BLESSED WHO COMES THE NAME LORD WHO IS THIS JESUS NAZARETH

THE FOAL AND THE LAMB

Once Jesus had been lifted onto the cross, St. Matthew recalls that the soldiers cast lots for his clothing; by law, the execution squad received the condemned person’s clothes as a sort of “gratuity.” They offered Jesus some gall-laced wine which he refused to drink. Above his head, the soldiers inscribed the charge for which the Lord had been condemned, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Mt 27:37). To the Jewish people this charge would have suggested blasphemy and to the Romans, insurrection; the supreme irony, however, was that the charge was

And then, as signs of the universal significance of this event, we learn that the earth quaked (the foundations of the world were shaken), the veil of the Temple was torn in two (a new era of salvation history had begun; God would no longer deal with his people from the Temple in Jerusalem, but through the community that his Risen Son would establish, i.e. the Church), and the bodies of the holy ones rose from their tombs (their salvation had come; the price of Adam’s sin had been paid). At the end, the Roman centurion supervising the whole event became the first of countless people throughout the ages to speak the words proclaiming the true meaning of what had occurred, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (Mt 27:54).

Msgr. Fell is director, diocesan Office for Priest Personnel

Jesus would prove himself God’s faithful Son by remaining on the cross, not by using his power to abandon it.

Donations by ‘Mom Squad’ help maintain ‘hope in face of hardship’

By Christina Leslie Correspondent

EDISON — One of the three pillars of Lent — prayer, fasting and almsgiving — was evident in full force Feb. 25 at the Ozanam Family Shelter as an Edison-based mother’s group donated more than $2,000 in supplies Feb. 25 to the facility’s residents.

Cars, trucks and hand-pulled carts overflowing with bags of children’s toys, games, clothing, diapers, backpacks, books and other items rapidly filled the small parking lot of the shelter, operated by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen (CCDOM), on the frigid morning. Neetu Aneja, founder of the 300-member “Edison Mom Squad,” had learned of the Ozanam Shelter, proposed a donation of needed items, then urged her fellow mothers to donate newly purchased items from the list supplied by the shelter, according to Nicole Fernandez, service area director, Housing and Homeless Prevention.

Edison Mayor Sam Joshi presented the group with a proclamati`on of gratitude for their donation. “I heard about this and wanted to see it for myself,” he said. “It’s awesome to have moms come together like this for a noble cause. That’s what builds a community.”

Cynthia Bagner smiled as she saw the bounty carried into the shelter’s lunchroom. Now serving as the Ozanam Shelter’s resident attendant supervisor, she explained she had once lived in the facility about 23 years ago.

“There are currently 87 people here and we have a capacity of 102,” Bagner said. “This donation will bring the parents a lot of relief. These are things they won’t have to buy themselves.

“It’s like a family here, a safe environment. This is a blessing on both sides,” she added.

According to the CCDOM website, the Ozanam Family Shelter provides shelter for 16 single women and 26 families.

Services include temporary and emergency lodging, meals, physical and mental health assessments, crisis counseling, assistance with housing, employment and children's educational placement, case management and referrals. While living in the shelter, program residents work with case managers to improve their earning capacity and obtain permanent housing.

Fernandez also expressed gratitude for the donation, noting, “The Mom Squad’s moms understand how difficult it can be to be a new mom, have limited support or how it feels to have a bad day. As mothers, we want our children to not take on our burdens or stress. While at the shelter, it can be difficult for the children to fully comprehend what is happening.

“With these generous donations of toys, the children are able to take their minds off the stress or worry,” she concluded. “They are reminded of their worth and they feel valued. These types of donations can help maintain hope in the face of hardship.”

Ozanam Family Shelter is located at 89 Truman Drive in Edison, New Jersey. Middlesex County residents who are in need of temporary or emergency housing should call 211, the State’s Homeless Hotline.

For more information about Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen, please visit ccdom.org. LIKE and visit Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @ccdom1 to stay updated on upcoming events and ways it help clients get the services and assistance they need.

Top right, some of the 87 residents of the Ozanam Family Shelter, Edison, which is operated by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen, gather outside one of its buildings Feb. 25. Right, Edison Mayor Sam Joshi, center, holds a proclamation of gratitude for the "Edison Mom Squad." The organization collected about $2,000 worth of peresonal care items and toys for the residents.

John Batkowski photos

Upcoming Catholic Charities Events

• Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen is hosting their first diaper distribution this April. Mark your calendars for this drive-thru event on Wednesday, April 26th, 2023 from 4pm-6pm located at 288 Rues Ln, East Brunswick, NJ 08816. Families will be receiving free diapers, children books, a new diaper bag and more. Register: https://bit.ly/CCDOMDiaperDistribution

• April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metchen invites you to support children and families by wearing Blue on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.

Forms of prayer foster communion with God, forgiveness

Article 172 - Catechism of the Catholic Church Series’’

Paragraphs 2623-2643

both the Eucharistic liturgy and personal prayer” (ccc 2631). As with all things, “there is a hierarchy in these petitions: we pray first for the Kingdom, then for what is necessary to welcome it and cooperate with its coming” (ccc 2632). By our sharing in God’s saving love, we come to understand “that every need can become the object of petition. Christ, who assumed all things in order to redeem all things, is, as St. John’s Gospel

tical Body of Christ. The thanksgiving of the members of the Body participating in that of their Head (ccc 2637) makes them more faithful bearers of Christ. St. Paul indicates throughout his writings that, “in the prayer of petition, every event and need can become an offering of thanksgiving” (ccc 2638). As such, we ought to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess 5:18).

Finally, Praise is the form of prayer

first Christian communities who read the Book of Psalms and “composed hymns and canticles in the light of the unheardof event that God accomplished in his Son: his Incarnation, his death which conquered death, his Resurrection, and Ascension to the right hand of the Father” (ccc 2641), we do likewise.

All our heartfelt affections and prayerful inclinations toward God demonstrate that “faith is pure praise” (ccc

We have all heard it said that prayer does not work, especially prayers addressed to God requesting his help or interces sion. Such prayers, according to some, are “a total waste of time.”

For us, like the first disciples before us, we find comfort by joining our prayers to those of others. Sacred Scripture re minds us that the first Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). The Catechism explains: “these are prayers that the faith ful hear and read in the Scriptures, but also [these are prayers] that they make their own – especially those of the Psalms” (ccc 2625). We experience prayer as 1. Blessing and adoration, 2. Petition, 3. In tercession, 4. Thanksgiving, and 5. Praise (defined by God’s blessing and our adora tion). Therefore, “because God blesses, the human heart can in return bless the One who is the source of every blessing” (ccc 2626). As the Catechism elaborates: “we bless [God] for having blessed us” (ccc 2627).

What is our response? Adoration is our first response, acknowledging our selves as creatures in the presence of the Creator or, as Fourth Century bishop St. Augustine puts it: “respectful silence in the presence of the ‘ever greater’ God” (ccc 2628). “It exalts the greatness of the Lord who made us and the almighty power of the Savior who sets us free from evil” (2628).

Our “Adoration” of God blends with our humility which then leads us to the most usual form of prayer, “Petition,” wherein “we express awareness of our relationship with God” (ccc 2629). As such, we recognize ourselves as “creatures who are not our own beginning… [nor] our own last end…[but] sinners who as Christians know that we have turned away from our Father. Our petition is already ‘a turning back to him’” (ccc 2629). In the New Testament, our prayer of petition is “buoyed by hope” in the Risen Christ (ccc 2630).

The Catechism further explains: The first movement of the prayer of petition is asking forgiveness, like the tax collector in the parable in St. Luke’s Gospel (18:13): “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” This is “a trusting humility” that helps bring us back into communion with God and each other. Requesting such forgiveness “is the prerequisite for

(14:13) states, glorified by what we ask the Father in his name” (ccc 2633).

The prayer of Petition leads us to a third form of prayer called Intercession. The Holy Spirit “himself intercedes for us. . .and intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (ccc 2634). Abraham, our Father in faith and the Father of many nations, interceded – “asking on behalf of another [and having a heart] attuned to God’s mercy” (ccc 2635). The intercession of Christians recognizes no limitations: “for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, for persecutors, for the salvation of those who reject the Gospel” (ccc 2636). In short, prayer of Intercession consists in asking on behalf of another. It knows no boundaries and even extends to one’s enemies.

A fourth form of prayer, Thanksgiving, characterizes the prayer of the Church which, when celebrating the Eucharist, “reveals and becomes more fully what she is” (ccc 2637) – the Mys-

which recognizes most immediately that God is God. It lauds God for his own sake and gives him glory, not only for what he does, but simply because HE IS. . .Praise embraces the other forms of prayer and carries them toward him who is its source and goal: the “one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist” (ccc 2639). “St. Luke in his Gospel expresses wonder and praise at the marvels of Christ and in his Acts of the Apostles stresses them as actions of the Holy Spirit” (ccc 2640).

Sacred Scripture reminds us: “[Address] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.” This is exactly what priests, consecrated religious, as well as many lay Catholics, do several times each day. And, like the

2642). The Eucharist, however, contains and expresses all forms of prayer: it is “the pure offering” of the whole Body of Christ to the glory of God’s name and, according to the traditions of East and West, it is the “sacrifice of praise” (ccc 2643). Sacred Scripture affirms: “those who offer praise as a sacrifice honor God; those whose way is steadfast, look upon the salvation of God!” (Ps 50:23) Does prayer work, especially prayers addressed to God requesting his help or intercession? Absolutely. In short, the only prayer that does not work is the prayer we stop praying before we receive God’s answer to that prayer.

Father Hillier is director, diocesan Office of Pontifical Mission Societies, the Office for Persons with Disabilities and Censor Luborum

A woman prays during Eucharistic adoration following the opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life Jan. 19, 2023, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. — OSV News photo/Bob Roller

Holy Father's pastoral style keeps LGBTQ Catholics in fold

(OSV News) — Pope Francis has evoked both praise and protest for his outreach to LGBTQ persons during his decade-long papacy, as he has offered warmth and welcome while upholding the Catholic Church’s teaching on human sexuality.

“My experience of Pope Francis has been hope-filled and also frustrating,” said Ish Ruiz, a gay theologian and post-doc toral fellow in Catholic studies at Emory University, Atlanta.

Ruiz praised Pope Francis’ “break through papacy,” which he said has helped remove barriers between the Catholic Church and LGBTQ persons.

At the same time, Ruiz said he “wishes the pope would go a little bit further with what he’s done” and “allow Church doctrine to be transformed by the grace-filled witness” of LGBTQ persons.

Grace Doerfler, a graduate student in journalism at Stanford University (Calif.), said that “as a lesbian Catholic, I think [Pope Francis is] really a pastor. … He has such an attitude of welcome, kindness and love, and I think his papacy has made a real difference in how I and other LGBTQ Catholics feel about the Church, and about staying [in it].”

Yet Doerfler also said she “would love to see a Church where I could have a church wedding someday, and where Catholic school teachers and other people in ministry could be openly gay and not lose jobs over it.”

Since the early days of his papacy, Pope Francis has offered an open hand to persons experiencing same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria, and recently condemned the criminalization of homosexuality in several parts of the world.

Asked by a reporter in 2013 about homosexual individuals among the clergy, the pope famously responded, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

For Matthew — now a married father of two in the St. Louis area who asked his last name be withheld for privacy — that reply coincided with a growing awareness that he was sensing homosexual inclinations, which, along with homosexual acts are regarded as “disordered,” according to Church teaching as outlined in the “Catechism of the Catholic Church.”

“The 10-year anniversary of Pope Francis really resonates with me, because I was a freshman in college exactly when I started to realize my experience,” he said. “This 10-year journey is very much my timeline of my first [recognition] and then realizing the beautiful grace [of] the Lord in my life.”

While stressing he remains “respectful” of the pope, Matthew said he wanted to “be real” about how Pope Francis’ approach to the topic of homosexuality “has hindered me.”

Specifically, Matthew pointed to “ambiguity and lack of clarity” in reports of the pope’s occasional statements to media on the subject, which he said could

be misconstrued as support for same-sex unions.

Evgeny Afineevsky’s 2020 documentary “Francesco” created an uproar when spliced clips from a 2019 interview with Mexican broadcaster Televisa appeared to show Pope Francis broadly endorsing legal protections for such civil unions, while defending Church doctrine that made it “a contradiction to speak of homosexual marriage,” said the pope.

Subsequent media coverage showed the film had not included key contextual information and caveats made by the pope in addressing the topic with journalist Valentina Alazraki.

Struggles to accurately understand Pope Francis on the topic of homosexuality often result from a failure to appreciate the fullness of his pastoral outreach to LGBTQ persons, said Father Philip Bochanski, a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and executive director of Courage International, a Catholic apostolate that supports same-sex attracted men and women in living chastely according to Church teaching.

Pope Francis’ approach seeks “to receive the person and accompany them mercifully, and having heard and received their story, to orient them in the teaching of the Church,” Father Bochanski said.

“It would be too simplistic to say that this pope says, 'homosexual acts are sinful’ or ‘who am I to judge?’ That’s overlooking much of what Pope Francis has said on this topic. He always refers people back to the Catechism.”

In his apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), Pope Francis summed up that perspective in two back-to-back passages, acknowledging the challenges same-sex attraction presents to both parents and children, and calling for “respectful pastoral guidance” while upholding Church teaching

that views same-sex unions as not “even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.”

Above all, “Pope Francis has, through words and gestures, helped to open up the conversation around the Catholic Church and LGBTQ people,” said Jesuit Father James Martin, a consultor to the Vatican Dicastery for Communication who ministers extensively to LGBTQ persons.

Admitting that “many LGBTQ people in the West tell me that they wish

Pope Francis gives the homily as he celebrates Mass for the feast of Christ the King in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Nov. 21, 2021.

CNS photo/Remo Casilli, Reuters

[Pope Francis] would ‘go further,’” Father Martin said the pope’s outreach has “marked a sea change in the Church’s approach to this community.”

Father Martin pointed out Pope Francis has even appointed Juan Carlos Cruz, an openly gay man who advocates for fellow survivors of clergy sex abuse, to the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

“I don’t think we can underestimate how much more welcome LGBTQ people — and their families — feel in their own church, thanks to Francis,” said Father Martin.

The pope sees not ideologies but “individual people, and he wants to make some kind of path for them to come closer to God,” said Eve Tushnet, author of “Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith.”

In so doing, she added, Pope Francis provides a “desperately needed vision for some kind of good future” for LGBTQ persons in the Church.

“The Church has wisdom here,” said Tushnet. “The Church gives guidance to shepherd these longings and desires, and a path by which they are made more chaste, and even more loving and giving, than your own desires.”

Father Philip Bochanski

Spiritual Summit Youth rekindle faith at event through talks, games, music, Mass

By Paul J. Peyton Correspondent

EDISON — A keynote address by a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, games, videos, the sacrament of reconciliation and a Mass highlighted the annual diocesan Youth Day at St. Thomas Aquinas High School March 12.

Eighty students from 18 high schools and/or parishes in the diocese attended the event, said Megan Callahan, director, diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

The five-hour event concluded with Bishop James F. Checchio presiding at the closing Mass.

Jeff Beer of Fiat Ventures, a Warren-based Catholic youth ministry that facilitates retreats, conducted games throughout the day including Kahoot, which tested the teenagers’ knowledge of the Catholic Church.

Father Joseph Napier Malachy of Georgia, a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of New York in May 2020. As one of the priests selected to travel and preach for the National Eucharistic Revival, he entered the gymnasium with the Blessed Sacrament and carried it to a makeshift altar lit with candles for adoration, then spoke to the students about the mystery of the Eucharist.

“There is a doubt that exists in each of our hearts, I don’t care who you are, I don’t care how strong your faith is, there is a doubt that exists in our hearts [and] our humanity of whether God is really good, whether we can really trust him, and whether he really loves us,” Father Malachy said.

“God, because he is good and loving, doesn’t just give us grace and things at one point on the journey, but all along the way. And he knew that we need to hear again and again that he loves us. So, what does he do? He says I’m going to come to you again, again, and again. How? Through this mystery of the Eucharist. Every time you go to Mass, Jesus is coming to that altar again.”

Father Malachy explained how the Communion wafer is “no longer bread, but this now is the presence of God Almighty, the creator of the universe,” admitting “this is a radical plan” since you cannot see the Lord with your eyes.

“The only thing that can reveal to you the truth of who is here and what is here is hearing…When God speaks reality changes,” Father Malachy said.

After Mass, attendees knelt around the altar and the Eucharist and received he sacrament of reconciliation while “Goodness of God” was sung by Marisel Rodriguez and band members Raul Chapa and Matthew Lester.

Before the liturgy, Beer said it is not

something to go to be entertained, telling the teenagers to “insert yourself into the Mass.”

“There is deep, deep beauty and truth in the words of the Mass,” he said. “Every time you say, ‘Amen,’ you are saying, ‘I believe, I believe what was just said.’”

In his homily, Bishop Checchio noted, “People always ask me about our youth. How are our young people? So, it will be nice to tell them what a beautiful day that you had today.”

The bishop left the altar to the recessional hymn, “Your Grace Is Enough.”

After the Mass, Bishop Checchio said: “It’s always good to see our youth come out and engaged in the faith.”

Brandon Gafanhao, a sophomore at St. Aquinas High School, said: “I enjoyed the Mass today. It was good that we were able to give ourselves to God and that Bishop Checchio would come and do the Mass with us. I was just grateful that I was

able to volunteer for this opportunity.”

“I thought it [Youth Day] was lovely. It was fun,” St. Thomas Aquinas senior Amanda Doggett said. She described the music as “perfect” for the retreat.

“I thought it was a really good experience. I came into it not knowing what to expect,” St. Aquinas sophomore Jonathan Howarth said. “It was like stepping out of my comfort zone,” he said, noting it was the first time he did a reading. “It was really great…I’m definitely going to volunteer again next year.”

Callahan said she was happy with how Youth Day unfolded.

“I thought it was beautiful to see the youth engaged and attentive to Father Malachy, the games, and to see this and [the] adoration [of the Holy Eucharist], it was really beautiful,” she said. “And to see so many going up for confession was also really, really beautiful.”

“I am very grateful to all who came together to make this day possible!” Callahan exclaimed.

Top photo below: Emily Chave carrying the cross, leads the procession into the St. Thomas Aquinas gymnasium at the start of Mass which concluded the diocese's Youth Day, March 12. The priest following Chave is Father Joseph Napier Malachy. Bishop James F. Checchio presided at the Mass. Proclaiming the Gospel at the ambo is Deacon Jose Diaz. Presenting the Offertory gifts to Bishop Checchio are St. Thomas Aquinas students John Lacko, a freshman, and junior Sophia Llaguno. Besides Mass, the annual event included a talk by Father Malachy on the mystery of the Eucharist, games, and music, The students attending were also able to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation.

— Mike Ehrmann photos

QIf someone is dying, can anyone hear their confession and offer absolution? (Fredericksburg, Pa.)

ANo. Only an ordained priest has the power to forgive sins sacramentally in Jesus’ name. Even in an emergency, nonordained laypeople are not able to confer absolution; nor can Catholic deacons, even though they are ordained.

Interestingly (and only if there is a real danger of imminent death), a priest who, for a variety of reasons, may have lost his priestly faculties can still validly confer sacramental absolution upon a dying penitent. A “faculty” in this sense is the permission from the legitimate authority, (generally the local diocesan bishop), for a priest to celebrate certain sacraments. For some sacraments, including the sacrament of penance, this faculty is needed not only so that the sacrament may be licit, but also for its validity (see Canon 966 of the Code of Canon Law).

To be sure, most parish priests you encounter will indeed have the faculty to hear confessions. A priest might lack this faculty in a few unusual scenarios, such as being deemed incapable of the good judgment needed to counsel penitents

appropriately (e.g., perhaps due to severe physical or mental illness), or if he is under some sort of canonical punishment like excommunication. In some situations, even a priest in good standing may not have the faculty to absolve certain egregiously grave sins (such desecration of the Blessed Sacrament or making an attempt on the life of the pope) in a particular instance.

However, in danger of death, the Church’s law itself is the authority giving the faculty to grant sacramental absolution. As we read in Canon 976: “Even though a priest lacks the faculty to hear confessions, he absolves validly and licitly any penitents whatsoever in danger of death from any censures and sins, even if an approved priest is present.”

That being said, hopefully you never find yourself in danger of death and without a priest! If this happens, the best thing to do is make a sincere act of contrition and have trust in God’s mercy. But this also underscores the importance of going to confession regularly, so that we’re always as prepared as we can be should the unexpected happen.

QOur whole Mass is the “Novus Ordo” in English, but the pastor insists on using Kyrie eleison and also has us chanting the “Lamb of God” prayer in Latin. Does this invalidate the Mass?

(Ocean Pines, Md.)

AIt is perfectly valid to use Latin chant in the “Novus Ordo” Mass. Often Catholics will refer to the pre-Vatican II missal as the “TLM” or “Traditional Latin Mass,” but this is somewhat of a misnomer. All our liturgical prayers are originally written in Latin, and translations are always made from this Latin “master copy.” So technically, the “Novus Ordo” is also a Latin Mass.

As Latin “Roman” Catholics whose faith comes to us by way of the ministry of the apostle Peter as the first bishop of Rome, Latin is our traditional liturgical language. Even while it is important that we be able to follow along with the litur-

gy and understand what we are praying, it is also good to keep in touch with our heritage. As the Second Vatican Council document “Sacrosanctum Concilium” says: “… steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them” (No. 54).

Jenna Marie Cooper, who holds a licentiate in canon law, is a consecrated virgin and a canonist whose column appears weekly at OSV News. Send your questions to CatholicQA@osv.com.

Clockwise from top, far left: Bill Grippo, coordinator for the diocesan Metuchen Cursillo Movement, welcomes the more than 50 Cursillistas and guests at a Lenten Retreat at Mary, Mother of God Parish, Hillsborough; Deacon Sal Bonfiglio gives one of the keynote addresses. He spoke about God’s mercy and love. Society of Divine Vocations Father Cyril Adim Offiong, parochial vicar, St. Cecelia Parish, Iselin, gives the main talk. Members of the Metuchen Cursillo Movement Secretariat include: front row from left: Denyse Giannone, Mary Wolfram, Veronica Collingwood, Bill Grippo. Back row Ken Wolfram and Linda Ambrosio.

Retreat reminds Cursillistas of God's mercy, love

By Joanne Ward

HILLSBOROUGH — As they began their faith journey towards Easter, Cursillistas from the diocese took time for an encounter with Christ during a Lenten retreat. “Let Your Face Shine on Your Servant (Psalm 31:16) was the theme of the retreat sponsored by the Metuchen Cursillo Movement held March 4 at Mary, Mother of God Parish.

“This was our 14th Lenten event which helped Cursillistas and guests to be reminded of God’s love and mercy, even as we struggle through the challenges in our lives,” said Bill Grippo, diocesan coordinator for the Metuchen Cursillo Movement.

Cursillo, Grippo explained, is a lay apostolic movement of the Church that emphasizes the importance of a balanced life of piety, continual spiritual study and action to keep Christ as the center of life. “It is an exciting part of our journey with Christ,” he added.

The Lenten retreat began with Mass celebrated by Msgr. Joseph Curry, pastor of Mary, Mother of God. Breakfast followed and then Grippo welcomed the more than 50 attendees and spoke about the power and potential of Cursillo in a person’s spiritual life.

He said, Cursillo can change a life and related examples including one where someone who had been in prison went to a Cursillo Weekend and afterwards started to go to Mass and pray the rosary.

“The purpose of Cursillo is to evangelize and it has been very effective in the world of evangelization for five decades. We want to help Bishop Checchio in his mission of evangelization,” Grippo said. Through the Cursillo Weekend, individuals are energized and prepared to return to their environment and make it more Christlike, he added.

The next speaker at the Lenten Retreat was Deacon Sal Bonfiglio who ministers at Mary, Mother of God. His reflection focused on God’s “love and

mercy,” which, he said, “can often be misunderstood.” “I see these terms as referring to God’s compassion for the daily struggles of our human condition. While we often seek God’s help in our physical hardships, his resulting assistance always impacts the bigger picture -- our spiritual health,” Deacon Bonfiglio said.

“Everything God allows has the potential to lead to our salvation.,” he continued. “Although it grieves him, he will allow us to suffer physically, if it can draw us closer to him spiritually. That’s divine mercy. I believe this goes to the heart of the Gospel.

So, to live the Gospel, is to accept this truth in our daily life. If we allow the Spirit of Jesus to dwell in us, we will extend his mercy by joyfully accepting personal hardship, if doing so can ease the suffering of another of God’s children.”

After Deacon Bonfiglio’s talk, the Cursillistas and guests participated in a reflective Stations of the Cross led by Cursillo leader Ken Wolfram. Then

Cursillo leader Linda Ambrosio led the group in the Divine Mercy Chaplet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Mary Wolfram, who coordinated the Lenten Retreat, introduced the main speaker, Father Cyril Adim Offiong, SVD, parochial vicar at St. Cecelia’s Parish, Iselin. Grippo said in his talk Father Offiong captivated the audience with his wit, humor, and deep sense of spirituality. “He encouraged the group on its Lenten journey to put their faith in Christ,” Grippo said.

“Mercy was the focus of Father Offiong’s talk,” Mary Wolfram said. “He explained to us how mercy is free, but never cheap,” she added. “As Jesus reveals fully on the cross, mercy is always costly to the giver of mercy,” Father Offiong said. He stressed, too, that “one who receives mercy must also in turn give it.”

To convey how mercy is given, Father Offiong referred to St. Gregory who stated, “Mercy shows itself in us when we cheerfully practice almsgiving to the ungrateful, undeserving poor or joyfully do good to our nasty neighbor.”

“After Father Offiong went through all of his points on mercy, he turned to the cross which hangs over the altar at Mary Mother of God Church and looking at Jesus said, ‘Mercy is not cheap.” It was a powerful moment,” Mary Wolfram declared.

By the end of the Lenten Retreat the Cursillistas and guests had encountered Christ at Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and even Reconciliation.

Commenting on the Cursillo Lenten Retreat, Msgr. Curry said, “The Cursillo is one of those groups that lives faith with a passion. We are blessed as a parish family, to have this and so many other groups that not only live their faith but do so with a love and a passion that are contagious. We are happy to host the Cursillo Retreat and to see the joy that is brought into our midst!”

Anyone interested in learning more about the Metuchen Cursillo Movement is encouraged to visit its website: www. metcursillo.org or email: contact@metcursillo.org.

photo courtesy of Metuchen Cursillo Movement

ACROSS

1 Sacred vessels

6 “Be not ___, I go before you always”

10 Saint for sore throats

11 Jesuit who proposed the “Big Bang Theory”

12 St. Claude is the patron saint of Michelangelo and these others like him

16 Novarum

18 “Come to me, all who ___ and are burdened” (Mt 11:28)

20 One was used to house the Ark of the Covenant

21 Peter did this after he denied Jesus

22 “…to the ___ of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

23 “___ et Orbi”

24 Biblical resin

26 “I am the way and the ___ and the life.” (Jn 14:6)

28 A vow

32 Teaching

33 Catholic author, Graham ___

35 Nativity scene

36 Any place used in the veneration of a saint

DOWN

2 What you might find in a 36D

3 Samuel’s mentor

4 What Samson did while his hair was shaved

5 Philosopher and convert from agnosticism, Mortimer J. ___

7 Patron saint of cab drivers

8 There might be an antependium in front of it

9 A parish position (abbr.)

13 “So the king ordered Daniel to be brought and cast into the ___ den.” (Dan 6:17)

14 The Diocese of Thunder Bay is here

15 Time for some Easter services

17 The ___ Room

19 Son of Ner

21 “Fort” diocese in Indiana

25 The people of God

27 Ishmael, to Jacob

29 “___ us, O Lord…”

30 Catholic painter of ballerinas

31 Church Law

32 St. Nicholas’ feast is in this mon.

34 “Eye has not seen, ___ has not heard…”

Answers can be found on page 43

First pastor remembered for love of faithful, unborn, Christmas

By Paul J. Peyton Correspondent

PORT MURRAY — Father Albert Roca, 94, was remembered at a memorial Mass at St. Theodore Church Feb. 21 as some one who loved being a priest and preach ing about the true meaning of the Holy Eucharist. Father Roca, who died Feb. 9 in New Port Richey, Fla., had served as the first pastor at St. Theodore Parish, from 1986 to 2003, when he retired.

The memorial service took place at the same time Father Roca’s funeral Mass was being held at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, New Port Richey, at the request of his family.

In his homily, Father Anthony M. Siri anni, who succeeded Father Roca as pastor of St. Theodore’s, recalled his “love for children, his love of the unborn, his love of Christmas…and also his love of art.”

“If you would go down to the cafete ria [of the shuttered Our Lady of Victories School, Sayreville], you would see his art work. And most of his artwork for Christ mas, the ones he loved the most, [were] Disney [themed],” Father Sirianni recalled.

“He just had that love and that was something when he came up here [to St. Theodore’s]…he found love of people, but he was also a perfectionist…He had to put the [Christmas] decorations up by himself [as] everything [had to be] in its proper place. And everything had to be put away in its proper place.”

He said Father Roca “realized that there was something very magical and mystical in the Eucharist” and that he wanted Catholics to understand “the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist” through his preaching. Father Sirianni also noted Father Roca’s “love of priesthood, his love of saying Mass.” In his first weeks as pastor at St. Theodore’s, Father Sirianni said people would stop

OBITUARY

Joseph Parish, Washington Township, and Dean of the Morris Canal Deanery, concelebrated, representing Bishop James F. Checchio.

Born to the late Constance Mellilo and Costantino Roca, Father Roca was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he attended public schools and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School. He worked for 15 years as a design draftsman in New York City in the mechanical engineering field. Father Roca attended Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute of Engineering [now Polytechnic Institute of NYU] in the evenings, while he was working.

“He interrupted his work experience for approximately two years from January, 1954, through December, 1955, to be

Families for the dioceses of Metuchen and Paterson.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Chorba was the daughter of Joseph and Annette Scifo. Raised primarily in Garfield, she was a 1973 graduate of Paramus Catholic High School. She studied political science at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where she earned a bachelor’s degree.

While both were working at Spa 23 in Pompton Plains in the late 1980s, Kim met John Chorba. The two fell in love, and married Oct. 15, 1989. Settling in Pompton Plains, the couple had two sons, John and Dillon.

a Trappist monk at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Mass.,” wrote longtime parishioner Jeanie Szamettel in a tribute she prepared of Father Roca’s life and read by Parish Secretary Mary Kovacs.

Father Roca enrolled at Holy Apostles College, Cromwell, Conn., from 1970 to 1973, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. He studied at Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., from 1973 until 1977, receiving a Master of Divinity degree.

He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Trenton May 21, 1977 at the age of 49, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Trenton, by Bishop George W. Ahr. He served as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish, Middlesex, from June 1977 to November 1978, and at Our Lady of Victories Parish, Sayreville, from December 1978 to September 1986.

real estate agent.

As a longtime Member of Holy Spirit Parish, Pequannock, faith was central to her life. With a Catholic practice formed from her Italian American roots, Kim held tightly to her beliefs and was devoted to the Blessed Mother.

Since childhood, Kim held a long appreciation for the arts, and most specifically, theater. She was an employed actor in her 20s, and later refined her skills as an accomplished theater director. Chorba opened an acting school to train young actors in the arts and in life.

He was parochial vicar at St. Joseph’s Church, Washington Township, prior to his appointment as administrator at St. Theodore’s Oct. 1, 1986.

“We were privileged to attend the installation of Father Al as [the] first Pastor of St. Theodore’s at Mansfield Township School by Msgr. Luisini at the 5 pm Mass on Saturday, March 14, 1987,” recalled Szamettel.

Szamettel, who was unable to attend the memorial service, recalled fondly Father Roca celebrating the first Mass at St. Theodore’s: “On Saturday, August 5, 1990, Father Al celebrated our first Mass in our beautiful new church.

everyone who gave so much of their time and energy, patience, pledges and hard work, this was a truly overwhelmingly and emotionally beautiful time in our lives,” Kovacs said in reading the tribute.

Frances D. Chorba, known to all as Kim, who worked for many years as an advocate for childhood education as the director for Catholic School Families for the dioceses of Metuchen and Paterson, died at home March 5. She was 67.

Chorba was also the director of the New Jersey Network of Catholic Schools

Her extended family and friends were a focal point of her life, and she delighted in entertaining them at her home. She was an exceptional cook, and enjoyed spoiling those she loved with her amazing dishes.

In the 1990s, she worked as the director of Training and vice president for a financial investment firm in Montvale.

In recent years, she was a licensed

As a longtime resident of Pequannock Township, she was an active community servant who believed strongly in giving back. She spent 16 years on the Board of Directors at Hearle Village in Pequannock, and also volunteered for the Pequannock Township Flood Committee for more than a decade.

She was a court-appointed mediator for the Morris/Sussex Vicinage.

She is survived by her husband, John; sons, John Chorba and his wife Dana, and Dillon Chorba and his fiance Jamie Cotone; her sister, Mary Ann Roberts (late husband, Lou); her brother, Joseph Scifo and his wife Yolanda; her mother-in-law, Marjorie Chorba and her late husband John; her brothers-in-law, Thomas Chorba and his wife Ann, Michael Chorba and his wife Allison, and Joseph Chorba and his wife Maryann; her nieces and nephews, Tiffany, Natascha, Corinne, Esther, Donnie, Lacey and her husband Alex, Louis and his wife Maria, Megan, Ryan, Giulia, and Gabriella; and her great-nieces and nephews, Aria, Hudson, Gemma, Luca and Kaia.

She was predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Annette Scifo.

A funeral Mass was celebrated at Holy Spirit Church, Pequannock, March 24. Cremation was private.

Arrangements were handled by M. John Scanlan Funeral Home, Pompton Plains

For

Top left, a file photo of Father Abert L. Roca, first pastor of St. Theodore Parish, Port Murray, who died Feb. 9 at the age of 94. Above, Father Damian Tomiczek, pastor, raises the chalice at a memorial Mass for Father Roca at St. Theodore Church. Concelebrants: from left, Father Anthony M. Sirianni, pastor, St. Helena Parish, Edison; and Father Guy W. Selvester, pastor, St. Joseph Parish, Washington. — Ed Koskey Jr. photo

NEW BRUNSWICK — Seventy-yearold Jerry Auriemma was suffering from radiation cystitis with hematuria, a complication involving blood in the urine that was a result of his radiation treatment for prostate cancer three years prior. While Auriemma’s radiation treatment was necessary to cure his prostate cancer, the procedure had damaged the blood vessels in his bladder.

“My condition caused me a lot of anxiety. When you see blood, you panic,” said Auriemma.

Auriemma’s situation caused him to return to his doctor, who recommended hyperbaric oxygen therapy to help new blood vessel formation in his bladder. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, offered at The Wound Care Center® and Hyperbaric Services at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, involves the use of medical oxygen administered in a pressurized chamber at levels higher than typical atmospheric pressure. The pressure in the chamber helps oxygen dissolve more rapidly into the blood, advancing its absorption into damaged tissues and promoting healing. The therapy can be used for a variety of conditions—from radiation injuries like Jerry’s — to wounds such as foot ulcers, certain serious infections, and other illnesses.

“When I called Saint Peter’s to make an appointment, they got me in for an

‘gold standard of

evaluation within 48 hours,” Auriemma said. “Their responsiveness in getting me evaluated and working backwards to get my medical records was fantastic. It decreased my anxiety.”

For approximately 12 weeks, Auriemma had hyperbaric oxygen therapy every weekday for two and a half hours per session. Each session was painless and involved lying in a pressurized glass chamber. The clear chamber is slowly pressurized to greater than sea-level pressure while the patient breathes oxygen. The therapy quickly and effectively delivers high concentrations of oxygen to the blood stream, which helps increase the body’s own natural healing abilities.

“It’s not a hard procedure, but it does take time. Now after my hyperbaric therapy sessions, my quality of life is back to where it was originally. I’m back to enjoying my time with my wife Pat and our four grandchildren who keep me active,” said Auriemma.

Auriemma spent his sessions streaming his favorite shows on the TV in the hyperbaric therapy room. Hyperbaric Safety Director Tracey Juba, CHT, NREMT, NJ-EMT, made sure Auriemma was comfortable during his sessions.

“The level of care provided by Tracey was phenomenal,” said Auriemma. “From the front desk staff to the physi-

cians, they take the time to get to know the person they’re caring for. They feel like friends to me now.”

The Wound Care Center® and Hyperbaric Services at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, with locations in New Brunswick and Monroe Township, has recently received reaccreditation from the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS). UHMS accreditation means Saint Peter’s Wound Care Center® has met the highest standards of care and patient safety through a rigorous evaluation to ensure that the utmost quality is maintained within the specialty of undersea and hyperbaric medicine. Participating in the UHMS accreditation program is voluntary and takes months of preparation ahead of an on-site survey conducted by a physician, nurse and technician, all of whom specialize in hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Saint Peter’s team of physicians, nurses and certified hyperbaric oxygen technicians work to ensure compliance with UHMS-related standards of practice and safety measures.

“Hyperbaric therapy is considered the gold standard of treatment for my condition, radiation cystitis. I would absolutely recommend Saint Peter’s to anyone seeking hyperbaric treatment. There are not many hospitals in the area that have the UHMS accreditation that

Saint Peter’s has, along with a capable and personable staff,” said Auriemma.

“We offer a multidisciplinary approach to complex medical issues, harnessing the expertise of our team of board-certified physicians that includes general surgeons, vascular surgeons, plastic surgeons, internists, geriatricians, infectious disease specialists, physiatrists and nurse practitioners, all working together to create an individualized plan for each patient,” said Mena Abdou, MHA, director of Saint Peter’s Wound Care Center® and Hyperbaric Services.

The Wound Care Center® and Hyperbaric Services at Saint Peter’s University Hospital treats a variety of conditions beyond complications from radiation treatment including diabetic foot ulcers and wounds; venous and arterial ulcers; osteomyelitis (bone infection); pressure ulcers; reopened surgical wounds and compromised skin grafts, and muscle flaps.

To learn more about The Wound Care Center® and Hyperbaric Services at Saint Peter’s, visit saintpetershcs.com/ woundcare.

Jerry Auriemma, right, and his wife, Pat, enjoy spending time with their four grandchildren at the Jersey shore.

photo courtesy of Jerry Auriemma

Jesus Revolution

By John Mulderig OSV News

NEW YORK — The Woodstock generation gets religion in the warmhearted fact-based drama “Jesus Revolution” (Lionsgate). Refreshingly free of the usual objectionable ingredients, this generally appealing Evangelically-flavored look back at a somewhat surprising chapter in Baby Boomer history is doctrinally dodgy but ethically uplifting.

The plot initially concentrates on the unlikely collaboration between Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a believing hippy, and Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), a previously starchy California minister. After the two are brought together by Chuck’s daughter, Janette (Ally Ioannides), Lonnie convinces Chuck that the Flower Children are ripe for conversion.

As the duo’s expanding mission leads to mass baptisms, the focus shifts to two of their eventual converts. Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) is a troubled teen with a complicated family background, including the alcoholism of his barfly mom, Charlene (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). Cathe (Anna Grace Barlow) is Greg’s emotionally steadier true love.

Christian viewers of all stripes will likely agree with the movie’s message that the hedonism and narcotics abuse into which many young adults fell in the

1960s was at least as misguided as the consumption-driven materialism against which they were rebelling. In that respect, the script penned by Jon Erwin (who codirected with Brent McCorkle) and Jon Gunn is spot-on.

But the sacramental theology briefly referenced in the script is askew from a Catholic perspective. Both baptism and the Eucharist are portrayed as merely symbolic, with Chuck even altering Jesus’ words of institution to reflect this viewpoint.

Provided they’re sufficiently wellcatechized to be proof against such a defect, older kids as well as grown-ups can safely take this stroll down psychedelicera memory lane. Along with its momentary divergence from sound teaching, however, the movie includes a scene in which a character overdoses that’s probably too frightening for younger children.

Mature viewers will sense echoes of the great St. Augustine of Hippo’s long search for the “beauty ever ancient, ever new” in this retrospective of a mass spiritual journey undertaken far closer to our own time. Yet they may also wonder how lasting or ephemeral the widespread embrace of the Gospel that resulted from it ultimately turned out to be.

The film contains negatively depicted drug use and a potentially upsetting medical situation. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on Twitter @ JohnMulderig1.

BLUE ARMY OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA SHRINE

674 Mountain View Road E., Asbury, NJ 08802 908-689-7330 • retreat@bluearmy.com

Lift Up Your Soul at the tranquil 150-acre Fatima Shrine. Host Your Retreat for Youth, Couples, Parish or Vocational Group.

LOYOLA JESUIT CENTER

161 James Street • Morristown, NJ 07960 973-539-0740 • Fax: 973-898-9839 www.loyola.org • retreathouse@loyola.org

Retreats for lay men, women, priests, religious; days/evenings of prayer. Groups planning their own programs are welcome.

MALVERN RETREAT HOUSE

315 S. Warren Avenue, Malvern, PA 19355 610-644-0400 • Fax: 610-644-4363 malvernretreat.com · mail@malvernretreat.com

An oasis of peace set on 125-acres of wooded countryside. Retreats for men, women, families, youth, religious and clergy.

MOUNT ST. MARY HOUSE OF PRAYER

1651 U.S. Highway 22, Watchung, NJ 07069 908-753-2091 • www.msmhope.org

e-mail: msmhope@msmhope.org

Retreats, Spiritual Direction, Programs

SAN ALFONSO RETREAT HOUSE

755 Ocean Avenue, Long Branch NJ 07740 732-222-2731 • info@sanalfonsoretreats.org www.sanalfonsoretreats.org

A Redemptorist Spiritual Center overlooking the Atlantic Ocean offering preached retreats, days of prayer and use of the facility for outside groups.

ST. FRANCIS CENTER FOR RENEWAL, INC.

395 Bridle Path Road, Bethlehem PA 18017 610.867.8890 • sfcr-info@stfrancisctr.org • stfrancisctr.org

55 acres of natural beauty await you! Programs for personal and spiritual enrichment, directed and solitude retreats. Air conditioned facilities for retreats, spiritual programs, meetings and staff days for church related and not-for-profit groups.

ST. FRANCIS RETREAT HOUSE

3918 Chipman Road, Easton, PA 18045 Phone: 610-258-3053, ext. 10 • Fax: 610-258-2412 Info@stfrancisretreathouse.org • stfrancisretreathouse.org Franciscan retreat and confrence center. Retreats for men, women, youth, religious, preached, private, directed

ST. JOSEPH BY THE SEA

400 Route 35 North, S. Mantoloking, NJ 08738 732-892-8494 • sjbsea@comcast.net • sjbsea.org

A Retreat House Sponsored by the Religious Teachers Filippini overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay. Offering days of prayer, retreat weekends, spiritual programs, meetings and

THE SHRINE OF ST. JOSEPH

1050 Long Hill Road, Stirling, NJ 07980 908-647-0208 • www.stshrine.org

Day & Overnight Retreats Gift & Book Shop - open daily

VILLA PAULINE RETREAT AND SPIRITUAL CENTER

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Preached/Directed/Guided & Private Retreats, Spiritual Direction, day & weekend programs

To join this retreat guide, email Ads@CatholicSpirit.com

Pope opens path for more women to serve at Vatican, in Church

ing the synodal process.

Zervino said 26 percent of respondents said they experienced no obstacles during the synodal process, while 43 percent of respondents said their “main obstacle” was an ordained minister and 18 percent said other members of the community were obstacles. Smaller percentages felt a lack of experience or difficulty speaking before a formal audience of church hierarchy was their main obstacle.

Some 69 percent of respondents felt “effectively involved in decision making” during the synodal process while 20 percent said they did not. Asked if their opinion had been listened to: 21 percent said “always,” 41 percent said “usually yes,” 12 percent said “several times,” while 23 percent responded “rarely” or “no.”

ordained ministry for women was more predominant in North America and some European countries.

The women they surveyed were “deeply concerned” about transparency and accountability in Church leadership and governance, McEwan said, and concerned about abuse, racism and sexism in Church environments.

McEwan said she handed Pope Francis their report at the end of his general audience, where he met them as well as some of the 29 resident women ambassadors to the Holy See.

Zervino, who is also one of the three women members the pope appointed to the Dicastery for Bishops, said she hopes all the “words” contained in these findings have an impact.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — At the end of his general audience in St. Peter’s Square March 8, International Women's Day, Pope Francis led a round of applause for women.

He thanked the world’s women “for their commitment to building a more humane society” through their ability to see and understand the world “with a creative gaze and tender heart.”

It is right for them to be able to express these skills in every sphere, not just within the family,” he wrote in the preface to a book, “More Women’s Leadership for a Better World: Caring as the Engine for Our Common Home.”

In the preface, published by Vatican News on Women’s Day, the pope wrote that “the Church can also benefit from the valorization of women” by allowing them to do more than just perform a particular function or job and actually transform the culture to be more caring.

In his 10 years as pontiff, Pope Francis has sought to include more women in the work and governance of Vatican commissions and Roman Curia offices.

According to the latest statistics, there has been a significant increase in the number and percentage of female employees the past decade, and the number of women in Vatican leadership positions has also grown.

Today there are 1,165 women working at the Vatican compared to 846 in 2013, making up 23.4 percent of the total workforce, according to Vatican News March 8. When it comes to roles in the Roman Curia, more than one in four employees is now a woman.

Within the Curia, five women hold the rank of undersecretary, and one has the rank of secretary: Salesian Sister Alessandra Smerilli, whom the pope appointed to the No. 2 position at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in 2021. It is the highest post ever held by a woman at the Holy See.

The pope has said he intends to appoint the first female prefect now that it is possible for laypeople, and, therefore, women, to lead dicasteries, according

to “Praedicate Evangelium,” the pope’s constitution reforming the Curia.

Pope Francis has also, for the first time, appointed women as full members of Vatican dicasteries, when previously that role was reserved to cardinals and some bishops. Members play a key role and vote along with prefects and secretaries at plenary assemblies.

So, while the pope has been bringing more women to “a place at the table” in Rome, he also has opened up new ways for women’s voices to be heard.

His Synod of Bishops on synodality has inspired some groups to create surveys specifically for women and compile the findings to send to the synod. The synodal process is meant to be an ongoing exercise for the entire Church to learn to come together, to listen more intently and discern what the Holy Spirit is saying.

The World Women’s Observatory’s of the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations (WUCWO) created a survey, which closed March 15, for women who held leadership positions during any phase of the synodal process to reflect on concerns regarding the role of women in the Church.

Also, researchers from Australia’s University of Newcastle produced the International Survey of Catholic Women for the Catholic Women Speak network as a way to contribute their voices to the synod. It received more than 17,000 responses from 104 countries and those findings with recommendations were sent to the synod in September. The complete report was presented at the Vatican March 8 by Tracy McEwan, a theologian and sociologist of religion affiliated with the University of Newcastle and a member of the research team.

The presentation, sponsored by Chiara Porro, Australia’s ambassador to the Holy See, also included María Lía Zervino, a sociologist and president of WUCWO, who gave the preliminary findings of their survey of more than 400 women who played a leadership role dur-

Both surveys had overlapping findings, one of the most important being that women's views are not a “monolith” and it is the diversity of their experiences, challenges and hopes that can enrich everyone.

Some common threads when it came to findings and recommendations in both surveys were: the women surveyed were enthusiastic and deeply identified with their faith; they desired more inclusion, especially of those who have been marginalized; there is a need for greater formation for everyone, including male members and leaders of the church. Both surveys found the desire for

Worthy Goal

The pope has said that “the Church cannot and should not remain just with words,” she said, adding that she believed the time for concrete action has come.

“I am convinced this synodal process will have many concrete results that will change a bit the way things work in the Church, perhaps in the structure, perhaps in daily life,” in reaching out to others and other faiths — all areas where women are, in fact, already active, she said.

The pope has opened a “fantastic” new road, she said, so “let’s go” and forge ahead because “we can do concrete things because we women are concrete.”

Mike Schuler, left, trustee of Knights of Columbus Council 15540, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Three Bridges, recently presented a $500 check to Knight Rick Allorto, who volunteers as vice president of the Shannon Daley Memorial Fund. The Council has supported the Flemington area charity for many years. The fund was established in 2002 on the idea of service and assistance – supporting local families who are facing financial difficulties because of a child with a serious illness. The fund is managed by the members of the Readington Mens’ Basketball League, which holds a fundraising basketball game every winter. The charity honors Shannon Daley, a daughter of one of the league’s members who died at four months of age from a rare heart disease. Since it was founded, the volunteer-run fund has raised more than

Pope Francis greets Vatican News correspondent Deborah Castellano Lubov and her son after meeting the organizers of the study "More Women's Leadership for a Better World" in an audience at the Vatican March 11. CNS photo/Vatican Media

PRESENTED BY: THE LEGION OF MARY

Saturday April 22 and Sunday April 23

St. Magdalen De Pazzi, 105 Mine Street, Flemington, NJ

Marian Display Exhibit Relics on display in the Church: St. Anne - Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary St. Catherine Laboure of the Miraculous Medal

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on the Altar, 1:30pm

Guest Speaker: Father Josemaria, Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate

Introduction to Guided Meditation Litany of Loretto led by Father Matthew Marinelli

Guided Meditation of the Blessed Virgin Mary led by Brother Dominic, Franciscan Friars of the Renewal Parish Confessions

Benediction led by Father Josemaria, Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate

Parish Vigil Mass, 4pm

Saturday 8:30 am – 6:00 pm, Sunday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm In the Spiritual Formation Center (located downstairs in the Church) For more information, call 908-782-2922 or visit our parish website www.stmagdalen.org

Clergy, law professors decry bureau document as anti-Catholic

By Kate Scanlon

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The FBI is facing scrutiny after a leaked memo suggested some “radical traditionalist” Catholics pose threats of racial or ethnically motivated violence. The memo has since been retracted by the bureau, a spokesperson told OSV News.

In a leaked memo dated Jan. 23, an analyst at the FBI’s Richmond Division said “Radical Traditionalist Catholics” are “typically characterized by the rejection of the Second Vatican Council.” The memo said the ideology can amount to an “adherence to anti-Semitic, antiimmigrant, anti-LGBTQ and white supremacist ideology.”

The memo also names far-right personality Nick Fuentes, who publicly self-identifies as Catholic and whom the memo says has ties to “white Christian nationalism.”

However, the memo distinguishes “radical traditionalist” Catholics as “separate and distinct” from “traditionalist Catholics” who “simply prefer the Traditional Latin Mass and pre-Vatican II teachings.”

Nevertheless, the leaked FBI memo generated everything from unease over its contents to outrage from some quarters alleging the FBI was labeling all Catholics a threat.

Religious Freedom

Rick Garnett, a professor of law at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., told OSV News that although the FBI retracted the memo, “that it was ever composed is troubling.”

“While it probably does not violate America’s religious freedom laws for a law enforcement agency to discuss threats in particular communities, the memo echoes an ugly, and long-standing, tendency in the United States of seeing Catholics as somehow disloyal or particularly problematic,” Garnett said.

Robert A. Destro, a professor at The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C., told OSV News the FBI’s memo over-

stepped the agency’s realm of authority.

If the FBI had evidence of criminal conduct from a member of one of the groups, Destro said, “then it seems to me they should do exactly what they would do in a criminal case, which is they would get a warrant to wiretap them, maybe search their house.”

Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Va., expressed alarm at the memo’s contents. “People of all faith groups have long found refuge in the constitutional protections of our great nation,” Bishop Knestout said. “We all seek to share in God’s gift of life, enjoy the fruits of liberty that our nation offers and assist one another in ensuring the common good.”

Bishop Knestout noted in his statement that some of the groups named in the memo are not in full communion with the Church, adding, “If evidence of extremism exists, it should be rooted out, but not at the expense of religious freedom.”

“A preference for traditional forms of worship and holding closely to the Church’s teachings on marriage, family, human sexuality, and the dignity of the human person does not equate with extremism,” he said.

In a Feb. 16 statement, New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, the U.S. bishops’ Religious Liberty Committee, said: “Let me first be clear: Anyone who espouses racism or promotes violence is rejecting Catholic teaching on the inherent dignity of each and every person.”

The USCCB, he said, “roundly condemns such extremism and fully supports the work of law enforcement officials to keep our communities safe.”

Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer presents:

Music of Hope:

AN EVENING OF MUSIC AND REFLECTION WITH

Dan Schutte

FRIDAY, APRIL 14TH, 7 - 9 PM

This event will take place in the Immaculate Conception Chapel at the top of the Mount Property. Celebrate the Easter season with us as music and poetry help us live Easter joy. Dan’s cd’s will be available for purchase.

Dan Schutte is one of the bestknown and most influential composers of Catholic music for liturgy in the English-speaking world. Some of his most celebrated songs—“Here I Am, Lord,” “City of God” and “Sing a New Song”— are from his years of collaboration with the St. Louis Jesuits. In 2015, OCP released the 40th anniversary edition of Earthen Vessels, the group’s best-selling second album.

For more information and register online, please visit: msmhope.org Or call us at 908-753-2091. $25 per person registration fee.

Mount Saint Mary House of Prayer, 1651 US Highway 22, Watchung, NJ 07069

Cardinal Dolan said he agreed with Bishop Knestout “that the leaked memorandum was nonetheless ‘troubling and offensive’ in several respects — such as in its religious profiling and reliance on dubious sourcing — and am glad it has been rescinded. We encourage federal law enforcement authorities to take appropriate measures to ensure the problematic aspects of the memo do not recur in any of their agencies’ work going forward.”

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, alongside attorneys general from 19 other states, sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland condemning the memo as “anti-Catholic.”

Miyares said in a statement that “Virginia is the birthplace of religious freedom and has a long history of protecting the inalienable right to live your faith free from government interference or intimidation.”

“The leaked memo from our state capital’s FBI office is unacceptable, unconstitutional, and un-American. Frankly, it’s what I would expect from Communist Cuba,” Miyares said. “As attorney general, I’m responsible for defending Virginians’ rights, and religious freedom is the bedrock of the constitu-

tions of the United States and of Virginia. Virginians should not and will not be labeled ‘violent extremists’ by their government because of how they worship, or because of their beliefs.”

The same FBI memo noted that “conversely, deep-seated anti-Catholicism remains a characteristic of many far-right white nationalists.”

A cited source in the FBI memo is the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an organization that monitors “hate groups,” but has faced criticism from some who say the group too widely applies that label.

Cassie Miller, senior research analyst with center’s Intelligence Project, told OSV News in an e-mail, “There is a stark difference between traditionalist Catholics -- who celebrate the Latin Mass and rebuff many of the liberalizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council -- and the radical traditionalist Catholics tracked by the Southern Poverty Law Center.”

“The latter group is made up of a handful of organizations that not only reject many of the modern Catholic Church’s teachings and practices, but openly embrace antisemitism,” Miller said. “The radical traditionalist Catholics groups we identify as hate groups promote Holocaust denial and argue that the reforms of Vatican II were part of a sinister Jewish plot, in addition to other racist, bigoted, and conspiratorial beliefs. These are groups that teach hatred of people based on their religious beliefs, and for that reason we consider them hate groups.”

SPLC in 2021 identified nine organizations as “radical traditional Catholicism hate groups,” including the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary located in Richmond, New Hampshire, which is not canonically recognized by the Catholic Church.

Sub-standard Document

A spokesperson for the FBI said in a statement provided to OSV News, “While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, this particular field office product — disseminated only within the FBI — regarding racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism does not meet the exacting standards of the FBI.”

“Upon learning of the document, FBI Headquarters quickly began taking action to remove the document from FBI systems and conduct a review of the basis for the document,” the statement said.

“The FBI is committed to sound analytic tradecraft and to investigating and preventing acts of violence and other crimes while upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans and will never conduct investigative activities or open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity.”

Scanlon is a national reporter for OSV News covering Washington. Follow her on Twitter @kgscanlon

DIOCESAN EVENTS

Chrism Mass, 4 p.m., Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi. Details to follow and will be posted on diometuchen.org

FOCCUS Facilitator Training – Marriage Prep, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., sponsored by the diocesan Office of Family Life, the in-person program will be held at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. Deacon Greg Caruso, a certified FOCCUS presenter in the diocese will conduct this session. Participants attending this training will learn how to administer and interpret the new 4th Edition of the FOCCUS pre-marital inventory tool. The registration fee for this training session is $100 (includes the new 4th Edition FOCCUS manual and lunch). If you already have this manual you may bring it to the session and your registration fee will be $50.00 (includes lunch). If you have any questions or concerns, please contact amarshall@diometuchen.org or call 732-562-1543.

Diocesan Reflection Day for Black Catholics, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m St. Matthias Church, Somerset, sponsored by the diocesan Office of Multicultural Ministries. The day will include lifting in prayer six Catholic African American candidates to sainthood: Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, FSPA; Venerable Henriette Delille, SSF; Servant of God Julia Greely; Servant of God Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, OSP; Venerable Pierre Toussaint; and Venerable Father Augustus Tolton. The day will also be a preparation for the National Black Catholic Congress in July 2023 and will include prayer and praise, personal reflection, group listening and reflection. Guided by the Holy Spirit, it will culminate in the collective wisdom of the people of God. Our diocesan delegates will take the pastoral concerns as well as the vision and prophetic call to action expressed at this gathering to the National Congress. For more information contact Sister Miriam Perez, coordinator for Multicultural Ministries at mperez@ diometuchen.org or call 732-529-7933. To register, visit: https://diometuchen.org/2023nbc

NJ Catholic Youth Rally at Six Flags Great Adventure, 9 a.m to 8 p.m. The NJ Catholic Youth Rally is a day-long event that gathers teens from across the state of New Jersey for a day of fun, fellowship, Mass, and more held at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J. The day starts with a dynamic opening ceremony hosted by the Diocese of Metuchen. Teens then get the day to enjoy the park and all the rides. The day concludes in the Batman Stunt Arena with a Mass. Open to all Jr. High, High School & Young Adult Ministry, Scouting Parish/School Athletic Programs, and families! For more information and to register, visit: https://www.diometuchen.org/youth-rally

Life-Giving Wounds Retreat for Adult Children of Divorce or Separation, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Shrine of St. Joseph, Stirling. This retreat is a unique opportunity for young adults (18+) and adults with divorced or separated parents to reflect intentionally on the wounds caused by their family’s breakdown, together with others who know this pain and are knowledgeable, compassionate retreat leaders. General Admission is $75, Student Admission is $25. To register visit: www. diometuchen.org/familylife. If you have any questions, please contact: cdaverso@diometuchen. org or amarshall@diometuchen.org

DIOCESAN PROGRAMS

Eucharistic Adorers Wanted

Now that the pandemic is over, Bishop Checchio would like to offer Eucharistic adoration at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, Monday through Friday, from 9:00-11:45 a.m. As St. Pope John Paul II noted. “The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic adoration.” Anyone who is interested in signing up should contact Angela Marshall at amarshall@diometuchen.org

Catechism in a Year for Women

This virtual Women's Group will meet each week on Sundays at 2:30 p.m. on Zoom for discussion of Fr. Mike Schmitz's "Catechism in a Year" podcast which began on January 8. For details, contact Cristina at cdaverso@diometuchen.org

"The Chosen" Study Series

All young adult engaged and married couples are invited to join in a virtual study series based on the hit series, "The Chosen." A different episode will be discussed each meeting and virtual watch parties will be planned sporadically. Meetings take place every other Monday evening at 7 p.m. on Zoom. For details or to join, please contact Cristina D'AversoCollins at cdaverso@diometuchen.org.

Blue Rosary Guild

The Office of Family Life is pleased to announce the creation of the Blue Rosary Guild. The purpose of the Guild is for community members of all ages to make pocket Rosaries for law enforcement officers, providing them with support and spiritual strength and promoting devotion to the Rosary among all the faithful. All materials and instructions will be provided and a Zoom virtual tutorial will also be scheduled. Anyone interested should contact Cristina D'Averso-Collins, Director of the Office of Family Life

AROUND THE DIOCESE

Holy Hour

SELLING YOUR HOME?

Willing to buy your home or townhouse in as-is condition. Quick 30 day cash closing. I’m a Licensed realtor in the State of NJ. Eugene “George” Pantozzi 908-392-2677 (call or text) georgepantozzi@hotmail.com

WINDOW & DOOR SCREEN REPAIRS

Installation of Fiberglass screens for your doors and windows. Pick-up and drop off services available. George & Sons: (908) 392-2677

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY - EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, seeks an Editor-in-Chief to assist with the production of the monthly periodical. The ideal candidate will be responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating the conception, design, production, and distribution of The Catholic Spirit. A background in communications and public relations is preferred. Interested candidates should forward their resume to hr@diometuchen.org.

ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVE

The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, seeks an Advertising Sales Representative to assist with the sale of advertising space. The ideal candidate will be responsible for initiating, developing, and closing sales of print media advertising in The Catholic Spirit by creating and building effective client relationships with area businesses and organizations. Interested candidates should forward their resume to hr@diometuchen.org.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY - GRAPHIC DESIGNER

The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Metuchen, seeks a Graphic Designer to assist with the layout and design of its publication. The ideal candidate will have Adobe InDesign and Photoshop experience in a PC environment, be familiar with all aspects of electronic publishing, be well-organized and reliable, and have a proven track record of meeting deadlines. Interested candidates should forward their resume to hr@diometuchen.org.

PARISH CATECHETICAL LEADER

Saint Joseph Parish, Hillsborough, NJ is seeking a Parish Catechetical Leader who is caring, engaging, organized, and passionate about passing on the Catholic faith. Our active parish community strives to create a welcoming environment for all who seek to deepen their faith. In this role, you will partner with parish families, staff, and ministries to oversee the planning, evaluation, and management of religious education and faith formation for children in grades 1-8. You will also provide support for adult religious education and formation initiatives, including the OCIA program. If you're interested in this opportunity, visit http://sjmillstone.com/employment for more information. Submit your resume and cover letter to bobf@sjmillstone.com. We can't wait to hear from you!

For classified rates, or to book your ad, call Tiffany at (732) 243-4581

Fundraiser

April 22, 6:30 p.m. -- As part of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish’s 100th anniversary celebration, a Speakeasy will be presented at the parish, 390 County Road 523, Whitehouse Station. Nancy Colleti and Judy Palmer will perform popular songs from the 20th century. The event is hosted by the Anniversary Committee and the Knights of Columbus Council 6930. Tickets are $30 per person. Beverages included. 1920s period attire, optional. For tickets, e-mail anniversary@ollwhs.org, or call Roman Hnidj at (908) 256-9760 or romanhnidj@verizon. net.

Bereavement Ministry

April 13, 1:30 p.m. -- Those who have recently lost a loved one are welcome to meetings of “Journey through Grief” support group at Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish Center, Middlesex. The spring session will meet every Thursday for six consecutive weeks. Registration is required. Forms are available near the entrances to the church and in the parish office.

Crossword

THE DIOCESE OF METUCHEN Divine Mercy Apostolate

Invites all to attend

Divine Mercy Sunday

April 16, 2023

St. Ambrose Church

Old Bridge, NJ

Sunday Mass

12:00 Noon followed by Confession and Rosary Veneration of First Class Relic of Saint Faustina

3:00PM Divine Mercy Devotion and Chaplet

Main Celebrant and Homilist:

Fr. Anthony J. Mastroeni, S.Th.D.,J.D.

Fr. Anthony was ordained in the diocese of Paterson NJ in 1972. He earned a B.A. in Classical languages and Philosophy, and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Seton Hall University. He has been teaching university students, hosting retreats and theological seminars, and participating in ongoing faith formation for years at various campuses, universities and seminaries in the Unites States and Europe. He is currently an adjunct professor of Medical Ethics and Theology at Felician College and Moral Theology at the Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University.