The Scripture story of the Woman at the Well recently taught Bible-study students at St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison a surprising lesson about the Eucharist as the parish kicks off a full schedule of observances for the diocesan Year of the Eucharist, which runs through Sunday Nov. 20. About 40 participants in the St. Vincent’s five-session “I Am the Bread of Life” study series learned last week that even though Jesus had not instituted the Eucharist yet, the Samaritan woman recognizes that he is the Messiah over the course of their conversation at the well.

As millions of Americans look forward to this weekend’s Super Bowl game matching the Cincinnati Bengals against the Los Angeles Rams, very few know that in Los Angeles, which is host to this year’s Super Bowl, Sheriff Alex Villanueva is warning residents and those traveling there to attend the game that the event is a magnet for human trafficking.

Who was St. Valentine? Did he really exist? Is he just a legend? In this technological age of the internet, when we have questions such as these, it seems that all we need to do is “Google,” type in “St. Valentine” and see what comes up. The first option in my “google search” was an article from the History Channel entitled 6 Surprising Facts about St. Valentine. If you read that article, you will not only read six interesting “facts” (or informed historical opinions) about St. Valentine, but you will also have the opportunity to click on a separate article, entitled Who was the Real St. Valentine?

Catholic schools from across the nation and in the Diocese kicked-off the annual weeklong celebration of Catholic Schools Week (CSW) Jan. 30. To start CSW in the Diocese, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Mass in Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Wayne on CSW’s first day, also marking the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made a pastoral visit to St. James of the Marches Parish in Totowa where he celebrated the 12:05 p.m. Mass on Friday, Jan. 28. Students from St. James Academy attended the Mass along with parishioners. Priests serving in the Mid-Passaic Deanery were concelebrants of the Mass. Following the Mass, the deanery meeting with the Bishop was held in St. James Rectory with the focus on the Synod of Synodality. In a few weeks, delegates representing parishes, religious orders, and schools will be reaching out to Catholics in the Diocese as part of the Synod, which is themed “For a synodal Church: Communion — Participation — Mission.”

Blessed with boundless energy, the late Msgr. Mark Giordani was a “force of nature” in his 31 years of service as rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson until his retirement in 2018. But the beloved priest was also a “force of grace” who loved each person he met as God loves, said Msgr. Geno Sylva, St. John’s current rector and diocesan vicar for special projects, at a vespers service in the cathedral last Sunday to mark the first anniversary of Msgr. Giordani’s death from cancer on Jan. 30, 2021. He was 78.

The students and faculty of St. Vincent Martyr School in Madison welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on Jan. 31 to celebrate Catholic Schools Week. The Bishop toured the school and visited each of the classrooms.

In today’s society, we have lost sight of ourselves because we have lost sight of God. In the past few decades, that has become more evident with the explosion in the number of people, especially young people, who identify as something other than their biological gender — male or female. They suffer from gender dysphoria, a disorder that makes them “feel” transgender: like the opposite gender; “non-binary,” either both male and female or neither; or “gender fluid,” something else entirely.

During the evening hours of Dec. 10, violent tornadoes ripped through Western Kentucky leaving catastrophic damage to residential homes and businesses. In response, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney is asking the faithful in the Paterson Diocese to assist in the tornado recovery by aiding the Owensboro Diocese in Kentucky as they face a long road ahead to rebuild their communities. Donations given by those in the Paterson Diocese will be sent to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Owensboro, to help with the long-term recovery.

Today, Feb. 3, marks an anniversary that seems long forgotten by our nation, but one that should demand our attention and remembrance every year. On this day in 1943, the U.S.A.T. Dorchester was on its journey from New York to Green­land carrying more than 900 officers, servicemen, civilian workers, and four chaplains of various faiths. The ship was a coastal passenger steamship requisitioned for wartime use as a troop ship. The ship was transiting the Labrador Sea when a German U-boat (U-233) torpedoed it.

On Feb. 2, the Church marked the 26th World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. Here in our Diocese we have a custom of celebrating the sisters, brothers, and priests who serve us through the vocation of Consecrated (Religious) Life in the month of May, when many are celebrating their jubilees and anniversaries. As I realized that the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life was approaching, I reflected on the many ways in which our Diocese is blessed by the presence, witness, and ministry of so many communities and congregations of vowed women and men religious, who, in their response to the Lord’s call, live out their particular charism and truly build up the Body of Christ in our midst.