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

Deepen

Graduate programs and certificates that nourish the heart, mind and spirit.

• M.A. in Theology

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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