On the Facebook page of the Department for Persons with Disabilities (DPD) in Oak Ridge, a Catholic Charities agency in the Diocese, there’s a photo of Carolina and Mindy that has collected more than 300 likes. It’s a photo of the DPD employee and DPD client next to a promotional poster that features them as models for the 2017 Bishop’s Annual Appeal. This poster can be found everywhere in parishes throughout the Diocese. The poster says it all — love and joy, expressed on the faces of the two women. Their smiles describe daily what it’s like at DPD.

Soft lighting bathed DePaul’s chapel in a golden glow on the evening of Oct. 30, as Bishop Serratelli started his latest “Pizza with the Bishop” vocations-awareness event promptly at 7 p.m. with only two young men in attendance. To reach his small audience more personally, he decided to deliver his opening reflection on the Scripture story of Jesus’ miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, while sitting next to them at their chairs rather than speaking at the pulpit. Like a scene from the Bible, more young men from around the Diocese streamed into the chapel in groups of twos, threes and fours — in no time multiplying the multitude to 10 lay people. They came to gather around Bishop Serratelli and hear his wisdom about how they can discern God’s call for them as a priest, religious or married person or to a specific profession.

The eyes of middle school students opened wide in awe as they entered the beautiful Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. For many of the students the visit to the Mother Church of the Paterson Diocese was their first time ever and for many, it was also the largest church they had been in.

The pro-life movement already has in its legal arsenal the argument that could help persuade the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, its 1973 landmark decision that legalized abortion — that God has granted certain inherent rights to all people, including the unborn, by virtue of human nature, according to Natural Law. On Nov. 8, Hadley P. Arkes, founder and director of the James Wilson Institute on Natural Rights & the American Founding in Washington, D.C., made that case in a talk at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison.

Secular media outlets give little coverage to the ongoing genocide taking place right now in the world where most of the victims are Christians. But “Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians Oppressed for their Faith, 2015-17,” a study released by Aid to the Church in Need, shows that persecutions continue to rise.

Darkness surrounded St. Joseph Church in Passaic. Repeated over and over are the words “For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.” Illuminated brightly before the teenagers and youth leaders that filled the church pews was Jesus Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament. That was the scene last Saturday evening, Nov. 4 at the Diocese’s first Catholic Youth Lounge event, bringing the message of hope and love to young people of the Diocese that Jesus’ merciful love is always there for them.

Catholic Charities in the Paterson Diocese honored five people for their advocacy, service and inspiration in their long-standing service to the poor during its annual Caritas Gala Nov. 4 at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany. Catholic Charities presented awards to the following honorees: Father Patrick O’Donovan with the Bishop’s Award; Msgr. Herbert Tillyer with the Straight & Narrow Award; Donna Fico with the Catholic Family & Community Services (CFCS) Award; and Diane and Kevin Cavanagh with the Department for Persons with Disabilities (DPD) Award.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was recognized by the City of Paterson’s Historic Preservation Commission with the Stewardship Award for Outstanding Historic Rehabilitation of a Paterson Historic Ecclesiastical Building. The 19th annual Historic Preservation event was held Oct. 26 at the Brownstone in Paterson.

Two tall stacks of unopened letters sit patiently on a busy desk in the office of Bishop Emeritus Rodimer, waiting for the prelate’s assured and prompt response. To the right, a small statue of the Blessed Mother stands deep in prayer on a shelf of a bookcase that towers over the desk and holds the bishop’s personal papers and books, including religious texts, which appear dog-eared and well read.

Bishop Serratelli was the principal celebrant of a Mass of Recommitment for 85 permanent deacons who serve in the Diocese in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson — a special liturgy that also commemorated the 50th anniversary this year of the restoration of the Permanent Diaconate by Pope Paul VI.

Day in and day out, when someone is in need of food, a family is about to be homeless or a person simply needs someone to talk to, Catholic Charities agencies in the Diocese are there for tens of thousands of people in need. And now one of its own agencies is in need for a helping hand from caring Catholics in the Diocese.

Nov. 5 was as picturesque as any wedding day should be as 105 happy couples from the parishes around the Diocese smiled broadly as they renewed the wedding vows they took many years ago. This was the scene in St. John’s Cathedral in Paterson as couples celebrated their 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries at the annual diocesan Silver and Gold Mass. Many of the couples were accompanied by generations of family members to witness the joyous occasion.

With Veteran’s Day this Saturday, the story of Father Joseph Lafleur, a World War II chaplain, in a recent edition of the National Catholic Reporter, should give us pause to remember and to pray for all veterans who have served their country with honor. Father Lafluer received two Distinguished Service Medals and Purple Heart for bravery. His selfless life of service to his nation and to his God has raised the possibility that his home Diocese of Lafayette, La. will examine his life that may lead to filing a petition of a cause that could eventually lead to his canonization.

The parishioners and staff at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Rockaway welcomed Bishop Serratelli, who was the principal celebrant of the Mass for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 29. During the Mass, young people of the parish received the Sacrament of Confirmation, which was administered by the Bishop.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Annunciation Parish in Wayne where he celebrated vigil Mass for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Oct. 28. During the Mass, 21 young people of the parish received the Sacrament of Confirmation administered by the Bishop.

Bishop Serratelli blessed the new addition to the mausoleum at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Totowa on Oct. 23. The 7,090 square-foot mausoleum addition has 560 crypts and 200 niches for cremated remains.

It is never too early to start thinking about Christmas. This especially holds true for the students at Mary Help of Christians Academy in Haledon who are already spreading Christmas cheer to needy children in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Guatemala.

Monday through Friday at noon, the stories of the priesthood are remembered — the baptisms and weddings celebrated, the happy memories of the faithful people of a parish and the difficult times of sadness and tragedy. These are stories shared by the priests who lived them, sometimes known as their “war stories” because of the glory they have felt serving as priests for the Paterson Diocese.

Father Vincent Lampert, a Vatican-trained exorcist, has faced many of the terrifying signs of demonic possession in people up close and personal: the voice gets deeper, the body contorts, the eyes roll back, the back arches or perhaps the jaw drops down and moves to the side. Evil spirits, the priest said, also have been known to take control of the body — moving the legs to walk, the mouth to talk and the hands to make gestures or strike out — all in vain attempts to demonstrate their power and frighten everyone, even devout Catholics.

First there was hope for the life of an unborn child. But in the end, the culture of death prevailed. On Oct. 24, a federal appeals court ordered that the government must assist a 17-year-old undocumented immigrant, detained in federal custody in Texas, to obtain an abortion. And following the approval of a federal court, the teen had the abortion.