The Paterson Diocese Federation Knights of Columbus held their annual “Pride in Our Priests” dinner at the Hanover Manor here Nov. 19. Traditionally, every November, the Paterson Federation encourages all its member councils of the Diocese to invite priests from their parishes to attend the dinner held in their honor as a way of thanking the priests for their service to the Church, the Diocese, their parish and the community.
Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Our Lady of the Holy Angels Parish in Little Falls on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22. During the visit, he celebrated Mass and he also visited with some of the volunteers of the parish, who were preparing Thanksgiving dinner for anyone who would be alone on Thanksgiving, a 17-year-old tradition at the parish hosted by Holy Angel’s Justice and Peace Committee.
Last week on Thanksgiving Day, hundreds of people enjoyed a traditional holiday meal complete with a turkey and all the trimmings that they otherwise would not have had without the Father English Food Pantry in Paterson, a department of Catholic Charities Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS). Maria was one of the people that stood at the food pantry with several bags full of food. This support helped keep her family from going hungry during the holiday. Recently, Maria’s home caught on fire and her husband and two children were forced to move into a shelter.
Local Catholic scientists and engineers — who often experience resistance from non-believers in their professional communities — gathered on Nov. 15 morning in Sacred Heart Church in Dover to profess together publicly for the first time, “We are scientists. We are Catholic and we believe in God.” On that Thursday, they came together to attend a Gold Mass in honor of engineers and scientists — and their patron, St. Albert the Great — the first of its kind celebrated not only in the Diocese, but also in New Jersey.
The major superiors of more than 35 religious communities that serve in the Diocese came together Nov. 20 for their annual meeting with Bishop Serratelli, where they learned how to ask questions that can transform their communities — by the will of God and often in unexpected ways — as they face many critical challenges today. At the well-attended meeting at St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Evangelization Center in Madison, these leaders of various local religious communities gained insights into “The Transforming Power of Questions,” a presentation by Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Katie Clauss.
J. is facing some tough times. His trade is carpentry, but work has not been steady of late. M., his wife, is pregnant, and he knows the child is not his. But he loves his wife and has made up his mind to do what is best for her and the baby and for them as a family.
On Christmas Eve 1818, at a church in an Austrian village, the most famous Christmas carol of all was heard for the first time, describing the night the Baby Jesus was born. With lyrics written by Josephus Mohr and music composed by Franz Xaver Gruber, “Silent Night,” has moved Christians for two centuries with its soothing words and gentle tune.
The faith community of St. Joseph Parish in West Milford welcomed Bishop Serratelli, who served as main celebrant and homilist of the noon Mass to mark the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time on Nov. 18.
Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. James of the Marches Church in Totowa and celebrated the vigil Mass for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Nov. 17.
Understanding the message of life loud and clear, the faithful from across the Diocese proudly came together to pray for the sacredness of all human life at the annual diocesan Respect Life Mass held at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson Nov. 17. Bishop Serratelli was principal celebrant of the Mass with many diocesan priests as concelebrants. Deacons also participated in the Mass along with Knights of Columbus councils from throughout the Diocese.
Today, Americans of all faiths will gather with family members at the table to celebrate a Thanksgiving feast, giving thanks to God for all they have been blessed with in their lives. Unfortunately, as with other religious-based holidays, our secular society has tried to turn Thanksgiving Day into just a day about football games, stuffing ourselves with turkey and pumpkin pie and ingraining in our minds that the Christmas gift-buying season is in full swing with several stores open today — rather than focusing on the true meaning this day has from its humble beginnings in Plymouth, Mass.
Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Thomas of Aquin Parish in Ogdensburg Nov. 10 where he celebrated the 5 p.m. vigil Mass for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Every year, some middle school history classes at All Saints Academy (ASA) in Parsippany keep the study of the Westward Expansion of the U.S. in motion — with some nice sets of wheels. They are tasked to build a miniature Conestoga wagon — like the ones that carried the pioneers across the Great Plains in the 19th century — but with a modern twist: constructing them with recyclable materials. Students then test the stability of the wagons by pulling them across the classroom floor.
Every human life is a gift from God and staunchly committed to this belief, the Paterson Diocese Federation Knights of Columbus Councils will once again host the annual diocesan Respect Life Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17. Bishop Serratelli will be the main celebrant with priests from the Diocese invited to concelebrate. Deacons are also invited to serve at the Mass.
With prayer and passion, Dana Catherine, a Catholic singer-songwriter, strums her guitar and sings, “Lord, I Need You” at the side of the altar in Our Lady of the Magnificat Church (OLM) in Kinnelon during a special evening with Eucharistic Adoration on Oct. 29. All the while, she never stops gazing on the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance on the altar, graced with having seen first-hand the miraculous healing power of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament — as her mother also can attest.
The phone rings from central dispatch on the afternoon of Nov. 9 with terrible news: a collision on Rt. 206 in Chester Township here has taken the lives of a grandmother and her 5-year-old granddaughter. Immediately, Msgr. Raymond Lopatesky hangs up the phone, dresses in his clerical garb and heads out the door — ready to lend a willing ear or comforting word to law enforcement officers on scene and to the victims’ family as Chester Police chaplain. So it’s no surprise that police from Chester and elsewhere, diocesan clergy and local public officials turned up on a cold Nov. 10 — a day after the crash — on a street corner in the rural township for the renaming of Meadow Lane to “Father Ray Lopatesky Rd.”
Where they once worshipped, they were honored. Twenty-one fallen parishioners of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson — who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I — were fondly remembered on Nov. 11, the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended “the war to end all wars.”
Another victory for our religious liberty and conscience rights was won last week when the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Treasury, and Labor released two updated rules concerning conscience protections for organizations and individuals in relation to the Obamacare contraception mandate.
During the month of October, parishioners of St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison collected all kinds of necessities for seminarians studying for the priesthood at Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange; Domus Bartimaeus, Diocesan House of Discernment in Boonton and at multiple parishes throughout the Diocese. The bags were filled with soap, belts, undershirts, socks, aftershave, laundry essentials and more. Pictured here are a few of the seminarians at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall with some of the bags that were delivered to them by St. Vincent’s parishioners.
Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Hardyston and celebrated the 9 a.m. Mass for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time Nov. 4. During the Mass, seventh-graders who are students in the parish’s religious education program were present as part of “Class Mass.”