Working for the missions is a privilege according to Mila Burdeos, diocesan mission coordinator, who has worked in the diocesan Mission Office for 19 years. “When we help the missions we are given the opportunity to help people literally all around the world,” said Burdeos. With that privileged work, Burdeos recently returned from the “eternal city” of Rome, where she attended the National Mission Conference, which was a meeting of directors and coordinators of the Diocesan Mission Offices throughout the United States.
Until recently, Marie O’Connor of Our Lady Queen of Peace (OLQP) Parish in Branchville did not know that St. John Paul II had written a pastoral letter in 1995 to the world’s women. That was until the married mother of two teenagers joined a Wednesday-evening study group of 15 women at the Sussex County church to read aloud and examine in detail the late pontiff’s “Letter to Women.” The study group began April 26 and concludes on June 14.
The Paterson Diocese held its jubilee celebration honoring 66 religious who are marking milestone anniversaries this year. Dedicating their lives to various ministries in the Church and the Diocese, the religious sisters, brothers and priests came together on May 20 for the Diocesan Jubilee for Religious at St. Mary Assumption Church in Passaic.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, the celebrated champion of the world’s poor, once spoke about the Lord’s power and influence in her own life by describing herself simply as “a pencil in the hand of God.” Last week, Deacon and Dr. Brian Beyerl of Assumption Parish, Morristown, a renowned neurosurgeon, took the opportunity to speak publicly about his long, distinguished medical career as a “healing ministry.” This led him to quip, “If that’s so, then I’m a scalpel.”
Five states have assisted-suicide laws, while several others, including New Jersey, are examining such legislation.Supporters argue that assisted suicide gives the terminally ill a “death with dignity.” Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, debunked that argument in an address earlier this month to the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute in St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica in Toronto. He said assisted suicide is “deceptively described as ‘aid in dying.’ This is a fabricated expression whose only rhetorical function is to conceal the very nature of the death-dealing action it describes.”
The multilayered rhythms of the Cuban liturgical music fill the air during a recent Sunday Mass at St. Anthony Parish in Havana. Some of the Franciscan priests, who celebrated the liturgy, noticed what many of the congregants were noticing: the strange presence of a conspicuous man dressed in an inconspicuous suit. But that did not stop the enthusiastic worshipers from expressing their faith by praying, singing and clapping.
When Carol Vargas, received the Sacrament of Confirmation administered by Bishop Serratelli in 2012 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Paterson, it was the start of a constant thirst for Christ in her life. Two years before, Vargas had joined her parish’s Confirmation program, and little did she know that preparing for the sacrament would lead to not only receiving the Holy Spirit but also a call to religious life.
Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. James of the Marches Parish here May 14 on Mother’s Day. During the visit, the Bishop celebrated Mass for the Fifth Sunday of Easter and administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to young people of the parish.
Honoring the ultimate model of motherly love, the annual Diocesan May Crowning of the Blessed Mother was held at a parish named in her honor, Our Lady Queen of Peace in Branchville May 14 on Mother’s Day. Bishop Serratelli led the coronation for the Blessed Mother, which featured many Marian hymns. First Communicants from Our Lady Queen of Peace, who recently received Jesus for the first time in the Eucharist, participated in the procession and crowning, placing flowers in front of the statue of the Blessed Mother.
Bishop Serratelli recently announced that early this spring, he had received an unexpected special delivery from a famous prelate in Rome: a short “warm and encouraging” letter from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, praising the Paterson Diocese’s multifaceted efforts in sharing the “Good News” of the Gospel. Dated March 22, Pope Benedict’s correspondence, which was delivered to Bishop Serratelli’s mailbox at the Paterson Diocesan Center, Clifton, commended the ministry of St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Center for Evangelization at Bayley-Ellard in Madison, and the center’s annual Pope Benedict XVI Summer Institute — named in his honor — which promotes and examines his theological teachings.
A joyful Bishop Serratelli ordained 10 diocesan seminarians to the transitional diaconate May 13 and officially consecrated the Diocese of Paterson to the Immaculate Heart of Mary to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Blessed Mother’s apparitions at Fatima. On the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima last Saturday at a Mass in St. Peter the Apostle Church in Parsippany, the Bishop brought the 10 men a step closer to being called to ordination as priests. He also used the occasion to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Blessed Mother’s appearances at Fatima in Portugal — which were also celebrated on that Saturday — by encouraging the newly ordained deacons to imitate Mary as “heralds of the Gospel” and by officially consecrating the entire Diocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
As Catholic colleges across the nation hold commencement exercises this month, questions continue to be raised as to whether some of them are truly committed to providing a faithful Catholic education, based on speakers invited to campus, those they select for awards and honorary degrees and those chosen to give commencement addresses.
Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Monica Parish in Sussex May 13 and celebrated the vigil Mass for the Fifth Sunday of Easter. During the Mass, the Bishop administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to young people of the parish.
Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Thomas More Church in Convent Station May 7 where he celebrated Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Easter. St. Thomas More Parish was established in 1966 by Bishop Lawrence Casey. Initially, Sunday Masses were celebrated in the motherhouse chapel of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth. A church was built in 1969 on property purchased from the Sisters of Charity on Madison Avenue.
It seems providential that the Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM) at William Paterson University, Wayne, experienced two major milestones in its ongoing “resurrection” story in late April, during the Easter season. Last month, the university’s Student Government Association presented CCM with two prestigious awards — Outstanding Club and Outstanding Club President — around the time that campus ministry completed extensive renovations to the lower level of its Bishop Frank J. Rodimer Catholic Campus Ministry Center here.
Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Resurrection Parish here and was the main celebrant for the vigil Mass May 6 for the Fourth Sunday of Easter. During the Mass, five children of the parish made their First Communion, receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.
Hundreds of guests gathered in the courtyard of Eva’s Village in Paterson April 23 to celebrate 35 years of service to the community. Anniversary guests included volunteers and supporters, Eva’s alumni and staff, clergy and elected officials. The program celebrated the mission of Eva’s Village and the legacy of its founder, Msgr. Vincent E. Puma, whose vision guided the growth of the social service organization from its beginnings as a simple soup kitchen in 1982, to the 20 anti-poverty programs offered today.
Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Our Lady of Lourdes Church here April 25 and celebrated Mass for the Feast of St. Mark, the evangelist. During the pastoral visit, Bishop Serratelli blessed the new sacristy and new chapel, located in a room behind the altar. The chapel project took six months and it will be used for weekday Masses. The new chapel, located in a space where the old sacristy was located, will be called “Our Blessed Mother Chapel.” The new sacristy and chapel were made possible through the contributions of the parishioners. The chapel can seat 40 people and all chairs were donated in memory of family members of parishioners who contributed to the project.
When 89-year-old Msgr. Brendan Madden came to the United States from County Cork, Ireland, he told his family and friends he was “heading on a foreign mission to the Paterson Diocese.” He laughs now at the idea that the Paterson Diocese is a foreign mission but 66 years ago when he moved to this country to serve as a priest for the Diocese, he left all he knew behind to come here.
Giving thanks for the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who serve in law enforcement, the Paterson Diocese hosted its 18th annual Blue Mass May 2 at St. Gerard Majella Church here. Bishop Serratelli presided at the Mass with priests of the diocese, many of whom serve as police and fire chaplains for local departments, as concelebrants. St. Gerard Church was filled to capacity with national, state and local law enforcement personnel as well as civilians and family members of the officers.