Monitor Mag Oct 2023 CMA

MONITOR

THE

Official publication of The Diocese of Trenton

Vol. 5 • No. 1 • OCTOBER 2023

MAGAZINE

THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD

A scene from a previous Synod of Bishops from 2018 offers a glimpse of what is about to unfold as bishops and others from around the globe will gather for the Synod on Synodality. Set to take place from Oct. 4 through 29, the Synod will explore “communion, participation and mission” in the Church. See page 33 for 10 things to know.

INSIDE… FROM THE BISHOP: The call to respect life in all its stages ALSO: Special sections on High School Showcase and World Mission Sunday

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October 2023

ON THE COVER Pope Francis attends a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people in the Vatican synod hall in this file photo from 2018. The October assembly of the Synod on Synodality is unpacked in a special report beginning on page 33.

CNS photo/Paul Haring

Seminarians of the Diocese participate in a Mass with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., in St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

More coverage on the Bishop’s visit to the seminary on page 21.

20-21

Mike Ehrmann photo

Contents 8-9 ¡ From the Bishop

MONITOR

THE

Official publication of The Diocese of Trenton

MAGAZINE

Business and Editorial Offices • 701 Lawrenceville Rd. P.O. Box 5147 • Trenton, NJ 08638-0147 • 609.406.7400

www.TrentonMonitor.com Publisher • Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. Associate Publisher • Rayanne M. Bennett • ext. 7188 EDITORIAL Monitor-News@DioceseofTrenton.org Associate Editor • Mary Stadnyk • ext. 7172

Digital and Social Media Manager • Rose O’Connor • ext. 7135 ADVERTISING Monitor-Advertising@DioceseofTrenton.org Monitor-Classified@DioceseofTrenton.org Advertising Coordinator • Frances Koukotas • ext. 7153 SUBSCRIPTIONS Monitor-Subscriptions@DioceseofTrenton.org

Circulation Assistant • ext. 7169 PRODUCTION Production/Graphic Designer • Clara Baumann • ext. 7176 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE (ISSN#0746-8350) is published 14 times a year by THE MONITOR, 701 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, 08648. Periodicals’ postage paid at Trenton, NJ, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to The Monitor, P.O. Box 5147, 701 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ, 08638-0147.

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Bishop O’Connell advocates for Radical Solidarity for Respect Life Month

11-15 ¡ In Focus How the Catholic community works to help those experiencing homelessness

16-19 ¡ We Believe Examining the power of the Rosary; Catechists affirmed in ministry

27-31 ¡ Diocese Catholic Charities’ annual gala demonstrates generosity; Cursillo installs new lay officers; Parish catechetical leaders study models of formation; Registrations open for Mount Carmel Guild Gala, NJ Charismatic Conference

62-64 ¡ Parishes Tabernacle parish welcomes new pastor; Bishop celebrates Co-Cathedral’s feast with community; Barnegat parish hosts Marian exhibit created by Blessed Carlo Acutis

REGULAR FEATURES 38 ¡ Church

46-48 ¡ Insight from Father Koch, Mary Morrell; Question Corner

39 ¡ World & Nation

70 ¡ Fun & Games

October 2023

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Peces

‘Solidaridad radical’: la llamada a respetar la vida en todas sus etapas Un mensaje del Obispo David M. O’Connell, C.M., para el Domingo de Respeto a la Vida (1 de octubre) y el Mes de Respeto a la Vida (todo el mes de octubre) que tienen como tema: “Solidaridad Radical”.

E

l anularmente histórico y largamente esperado del hito de 1973 “Roe v. Wade” decisión de la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos por el mismo cuerpo (diferentes jueces) en el “Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization” del año pasado representa el final de una era trágica y el comienzo de otra. El aborto todavía existe en nuestro país, solo que ahora se deja a los estados determinar su legitimidad legislativa. Los activistas proaborto y proelección han vuelto a centrar su atención en hacer todo lo posible para consagrar el acceso abierto al aborto en las leyes de los 50 estados. Sus esfuerzos no han disminuido y muchas legislaturas estatales han respondido a su favor.

Otros estados no lo han hecho y aquellos de nosotros que estamos en contra del aborto y próvida podemos alentar a los legisladores y legislaturas que mantienen a raya a los partidarios del aborto. La pregunta sigue siendo en la “era post-Roe”, ¿cuánto tiempo podemos seguir teniendo éxito en la promoción y protección de la vida en todas sus etapas, desde la concepción hasta la muerte natural?

No podemos perder la esperanza.

Aquí en Nueva Jersey, innumerables niños no nacidos, casi

¡Lee más en línea! Visita trentonmonitor.com/ peces para ver más historias en español de toda nuestra diócesis y del mundo. Fe en Casa: Eucaristía y Servicio: Dar a los demás lo que hemos recibido Da un salto de fe y atrévete a amar a tu familia, a los necesitados, dice el Papa Obispos de EE.UU., grupos de abogacía advierten contra el cierre del gobierno

49,000 según estadísticas recientes, siguen siendo víctimas de la agenda legislativa pro-aborto más agresiva y permisiva de la nación. Sus partidarios, desde ciudadanos comunes hasta aquellos que ocupan los niveles más altos del gobierno estatal, son implacables en sus esfuerzos, fomentando una «cultura de la muerte» en el Garden State. Nueva Jersey protege el “derecho” al aborto para todas las mujeres embarazadas, incluidas las niñas menores de edad. Lea el mensaje completo en TrentonMonitor.com

UN MENSAJE SOBRE EL MES DEL ROSARIO

DEL OBISPO DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

L

a Iglesia Católica he contado con la dicha de la intercesión de la Madre de Dios a través de esta oración desde el décimo tercer siglo cuando, según la tradición católica, ella le apareció al santo Doménico (1170-1221) en el 1214 ofreciéndole la idea del Rosario.

Existen varias leyendas e historias sobre como recibimos el Rosario inicialmente, pero su forma actual de quince misterios – cinco gozosos, cinco dolorosos, y cinco gloriosos llamados “décadas” – fue establecida formalmente por el papa Pio V (1504-72) en el 1569. El papa san Juan Pablo II agregó los cinco misterios luminosos a las décadas del Rosario en el 2002.

Octubre es el mes del Santo Rosario. El 7 de octubre es la fiesta de Nuestra Señora del Rosario.

Esta oración es una de las oraciones meditativas más populares de la Iglesia Católica. Pedirle su intercesión y ayuda de la Santa Madre María en nuestras vidas cotidianas es, entendiblemente, atractivo, orar a su Hijo Divino a través de ella.

Los misterios del Rosario realmente son contemplaciones de la vida entera del Señor Jesús – su vida, muerte y resurrección – de sentido real por los ojos de María.A pesar de todo, ella estaba “allá”, presente de por toda la vida de su Hijo. El Rosario, como todas las oraciones católicas, nos deben llevar hacia el Señor Jesús con María su Santa Madre como nuestra intercesora y guía. Ella lleva nuestras oraciones por el Rosario a Él. ¿Podría un Hijo que ama a su Madre negar las oraciones de ella? Lea el mensaje completo en TrentonMonitor.com MES DE LA HERENCIA HISPANA

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4 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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October 2023

La comunidad de fe de la parroquia de Santa Ana en Browns Mills, mostró las muchas culturas diferentes representadas en la parroquia durante una celebración del Mes de la Herencia Hispana el 24 de septiembre. Foto de Facebook

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Readers’ Corner

This is your Church

O

ctober is one of a few months throughout the year that has a very long list of Church events and observances.

Each year, across the country and, in some cases, the world, the Church observes and/or celebrates a host of special events or initiatives in October, including: Respect Life Month; the Month of the Holy Rosary, and World Mission Sunday.

In the DioA message from cese of Trenton, RAYANNE BENNETT October is when Associate Publisher we hold a number of major annual events: the Catholic Schools Mass and the two Bishop’s Anniversary Blessing Masses. It is when our high schools have open houses and entrance exams; our parishes take advantage of the last warm days for picnics and processions, celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month, and feast days with special meaning to their communities.

Adding to all that are the ongoing activities aligned with the National Eucharistic Revival, which has inspired many special gatherings and presentations in our parishes. And, in this extraordinary moment in Church history, we have the Synod on Synodality which is about to draw prelates and others from all over the world to explore what the faithful have said about their Church and discuss the ways it can best respond to the unique needs of the times in fidelity to Christ’s mission.

If you are paying attention, it can take your breath away.

And with our busy lives, it can be challenging to keep up. But

Hundreds of couples celebrating 25, 50 and more years of marriage will be honored in October at the Bishop’s Anniversary Blessing and Masses – held in two locations on two different dates. The annual and very well-attended events are part of a very busy month for Catholics in the Diocese. This issue of the magazine delves into some of the highlights of this extraordinary time. Mike Ehrmann photo it is important to know all that this Church does and the many ways that it impacts this world. This is your Church. Your membership and participation play a role. Your understanding of the amazing breadth and reach and vision of this Church is a way to fully give witness to the gift that is our Catholic faith.

The Church would not be the same without you.

In light of this remarkable month, and especially in this extraordinary time, it is no mystery that the October issue of The Monitor Magazine is one of largest of the year. Through this publication and the Monitor’s website, we are dedicated to equipping you with information and insight about your Church. We are intent to walk along with you in this journey of faith. God bless!

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP MANAGEMENT CIRCULATION The following statement, required by act of Congress, August 12, 1970, was filed with the U.S. Postal Service on October 1, 2023, and is printed here in accordance with the provisions of the same law.

Title of Publication: The Monitor Magazine. Frequency of issue: Monthly. Location of Headquarters: 701 Lawrenceville Rd. Trenton, NJ 08648. Publisher: Most Rev. David M. O’Connell, C.M., 701 Lawrenceville Rd., Trenton, NJ 08648. Associate Publisher: Rayanne M. Bennett, 701 Lawrenceville Rd., Trenton, NJ 08648. Owner: The Monitor, Diocese of Trenton, a nonprofit organization in the State of New Jersey. Known bondholders, mortgages, and other security holders, owning, or holding one percent or more of the total amount of bonds, mortgages, and other securities: None. The purpose of function and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes has 6 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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October 2023

not changed during the previous 12 months.

Extent and nature of circulation: A. total number of copies printed: average number of copies of each issue during the preceding 12 months: 7,870; number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 7,524. B. Paid circulation: 1) Average number of copies of each issue during preceding 12 months: 7381; 2) Number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: 7,116. C. Total paid distribution: Average number of copies of each issue during preceding 12 months: 7,381; number of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date:7,116. D. Free or nominal rate distribution: average 489, latest 408. E. Total free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 1) average: 489, latest 408; F. Total Distribution: average 7,870; latest: 7,524. G. Copies not distributed: Average: 55, latest: 60; H. Total Average: 7,925, latest: 7,584. I. Percent Paid: 93.83% ; latest: 94.62%.

TH

Friday October 20, 2023 | 6:00 pm Trenton Country Club Please join us as we celebrate the impact Mount Carmel Guild continues to make in Trenton, and look purposefully toward the future.

The Church of St. Ann Rosary Altar Society Good Neighbor Award Received by Michele McCullough & Barb Rowcotsky

Nancy Lucash Bishop Thomas J. Walsh Award

St. Gregory the Great Knights of Columbus

Laura and Joe Sarubbi Guild Appreciation Award

Good Neighbor Award Received by John Zubricky

Brian, Judy, Abby & Nate Duff Community Service Award

The College of New Jersey Student Athletes Good Neighbor Award

www.mtcarmelguild.org | gala@mtcarmelguild.org | 609.392.5159 Ext. 111 October 2023

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THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 7

From the Bishop

The call to respect life in all its stages A message from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., for Respect Life Sunday (Oct. 1) and Respect Life Month (all of October) that have as their theme: “Radical Solidarity.”

T

he long-overdue and historic overturning of the landmark 1973 “Roe v. Wade” decision of the United States Supreme Court by the same body (different justices) in last year’s “Dobbs v.

Jackson Women’s Health Organization” represents the end of one tragic era and the beginning of another. Abortion still exists in our country, only now it is left to the states to determine its legislative legitimacy. Pro-abortion, pro-choice activists have refocused their attention on doing everything possible to enshrine open access to abortion in the laws of the 50 states. Their efforts have not diminished and many state legislatures have responded in their favor.

 It is ... one of the most pre-eminent moral

October is Respect Life Month

Other states have not and those of us who are anti-abortion and pro-life can take some encouragement in legislators and legislatures holding supporters of abortion at bay. The question remains in the “post-Roe era,” how long can we remain successful in promoting and protecting life in all its stages, from conception to natural death?

We cannot lose hope.

Here in New Jersey, countless unborn children – almost 49,000 according to recent statistics – remain victims of the most aggressive and most permissive pro-abortion legislative agenda in the nation. Its supporters from ordinary citi8 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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USCCB graphic

issues of our lifetime.

zens to those occupying the highest levels of state government are unrelenting in their efforts, fostering a “culture of death” in the Garden State. New Jersey protects the “right” to abortion for all pregnant women, including minor girls. Here in our state, according to the Guttmacher Institute, as late as Aug. 29, 2023: Abortion is not restricted based on gestational age.

October 2023

State Medicaid funds cover abortion. “Qualified” health care professionals, not solely physicians, can provide abortions. State has a shield law to protect abortion providers from investigations by other states; may cover patients and support organizations. New Jersey does not have any of

the major types of abortion restrictions – such as waiting periods, mandated parental involvement or limitations on publicly funded abortions – often found in other states. According to a February 2023 Monmouth University poll, “twice as many citizens in New Jersey identify themselves as ‘pro-choice’” – 6 in 10 – than in a similar poll 10 years ago: 62% pro-choice compared to 29% who currently call themselves “pro-life.”

Those are astonishing statistics!

Abortion is not simply a political or legislative issue, although it has certainly become that. It is, rather and more importantly, a fundamental moral issue, one of the most pre-eminent moral issues of our lifetime.

“The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself, because it takes place within the sanctuary of the family, and because of the number of lives destroyed (USCCB, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” 2020). Acceptance of and support for abortion, whether “in all cases” or subject to some conditions, reveals what human life really means to so many of our fellow New Jersey citizens. “Thou shall not kill” remains one of the Ten Commandments. The “self-evident” truth and “unalienable” right to life proclaimed by our national Declaration of Independence is not so evident and not so unalienable here.

I am not a politician or a civil legislator. I am a bishop and a man of faith.

The phrase “endowed by their Creator” in reference to the truths and rights upon which our country was founded are the words that speak most profoundly to me in that historic Declaration. I always liked the words and conviction of President Kennedy in his famous Inaugural Address 185 years later: “The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” Abortion slaps the hand of the Creator who, alone, gave us the right to life and all other rights that flow from it. We owe our protection of and respect for life to the God who created us, not to the state. And our lives will return to him in his good time not ours.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops first established Respect Life Sunday in 1972 – the year before the fateful Roe v. Wade decision was handed down by the United States Supreme Court – dedicating the entire month of October but especially its first Sunday to upholding the sacredness and dignity of human life in all its stages.

In the “post-Roe era,” that designation continues to call for the renewal of the commitment of all Catholics and people of good will to pray and work, with all the means at their disposal, for the elimination of abortion wherever it exists and all other threats to human

vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection (Pope Francis, apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, 101, March 19, 2018).

The USCCB reminds us this year that “the Church’s entire social doctrine is guided by the fundamental principle that every human life has innate dignity and incomparable value.” That fundamental principle allows no compromise.

This Respect Life Sunday and Respect Life Month, Catholics – in particular, but not exclusively – must make it our aim to do all we can to provide pregnant

A health care worker comforts an elderly hospitalized patient during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his message for Respect Life Month, Bishop O’Connell echoes Pope Francis’ exhortation that in addition to the imperative of defending the unborn, people of faith must recognize the sacredness of all lives, including the poor, the vulnerable infirm and the elderly. CNS photo/Hannah McKay, pool via Reuters

life, direct and indirect. Pope Francis has urged: Our defense of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the

women, mothers, children and families with the support they need to flourish.

We must bring the word “respect” to life in a “radical solidarity” with them! This cannot be accomplished by laws or policy alone, but requires the continual transformation of our own hearts, recognizing in every person – born and unborn – the face and person of Christ, “walking with Moms in need” and placing their needs before our own.

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Bishop’s Scrapbook

During his Sept. 10 visit to Holy Eucharist Parish, Tabernacle, Bishop O’Connell gave his blessing to newly engaged Alivia Siedlecki and Jake Lipka. At left is Alivia’s mother Linda Siedlecki, and at right is Aliva’s father, Jeff Siedlecki, the parish’s youth ministry coordinator. Photo courtesy of Jeff Siedlecki

During his Sept. 27 visit to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa., where he celebrated Mass and had dinner, Bishop O’Connell enjoyed watching a volleyball game with a few seminarians. Staff photo

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October 2023

In Focus

ON THE

Dimi Katsavaris/Unsplash photo

MARGINS

Diocese’s Catholic social service groups strive to assist those in need of affordable housing

BY MARK PATTISON  Correspondent

T

he Son of Man, it seems, is not the only one who has no place to lay his head.

Access to affordable housing is on the endangered-species list throughout the nation, including in New Jersey and the Diocese of Trenton. The reasons are many. A pandemic-based moratorium on evictions has ended.

Rents are rising. Some people don’t have the money. Others have returned from jails. Some New Jersey cities continue to defy a state Supreme Court ruling mandating that every municipality build its “fair share” of low-income housing.

The Diocese and its social service groups strive to hold the line, advocating for those in danger of losing their dwellings while waiting for structural reforms that would ease the burden.

Brenda Rascher, executive director of the Office of Catholic Social Services in the Diocese and a former legal services attorney who specialized in housing law, estimates that there

are “probably at least a dozen” programs that her office works with or tracks that deal with the needs of those confronted with homelessness.

In the four-county Diocese of  ““The Trenton, there are indeed some housing who are “absolutely homeless,” as Rascher put it. “Another piece market is of those homeless experiences are people who have the ability almost causing to maintain an apartment but people to cannot find an apartment they can afford. ... The housing market have to stay is almost causing people to have to stay homeless,” she stated. homeless.”.”

In other cases, “we have a lot of people who are at-risk (of becoming) homeless” because landlords are “raising the rents,” Rascher said. Also, “we have people with Section 8 (housing) vouchers and landlords are Continued on 12

October 2023

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In Focus

Affordable housing lacking Continued from 11

refusing to negotiate” to rent them a place to live within that program’s rental guidelines.

Illegalities have also crept into the picture. “They charge exorbitant rent for substandard housing. Tenants are afraid to do anything because a substandard house is better than none,” Rascher said.

“I have a woman whose landlord has said, ‘I’m not renewing your lease because I want more rent.’ That’s illegal to do in New Jersey.”

This may seem puzzling, since Rascher puts New Jersey among the top three states in the nation for tenant protections. “The problem is tenants don’t know their rights, and a lot of landlords are incredibly skilled at preventing tenants from asserting their rights,” she said.

Rents in central New Jersey are up as much as 30% over year-ago levels. “Basically, a landlord does that by evicting the current tenant, and the new tenant pays 30% more,” according to Rascher.

so far this year: ■ A family in Section 8 housing fell many months behind on rent. The landlord was charging late fees – illegal when Section 8 is involved. Working with South Jersey Legal Services, the late fees were removed and the back rent paid.

■ One person owed $3,660 for fourth-quarter property taxes – a great-great grandmother who raised her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a great-great grandchild. “We put together a package of funds to pay her taxes and we got budget counseling for her,” Tedesco said.

■ One couple needed only $450 to avoid eviction. They were out of work because they had both been hospitalized.

Tedesco had details of at least a dozen cases at his fingertips. The combined population of Highlands and Sea Bright barely scrapes 6,000. Yet, St. Vincent de Paul – before August was over – had already

PARISHES RESPOND Locally-based St. Vincent de Paul conferences are often called upon to pay for many different things to get people back up on their feet: utility bills, food, car repairs, tuition, emergency supplies, medicine. But for the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Conference, based in Highlands and covering Sea Bright, “the vast amount we pay is for rent,” said Alan Tedesco, a conference board member. “It’s one of the things we can do to prevent homelessness.”

For the first two-and-a-half years of the pandemic, evictions were put on hold and government funds were available to help those in need. Now, “the amount of money we spent has tripled from the previous year,” Tedesco said. “The moratoriums are gone, evictions are totally legal, the government funds have stopped.”

Here’s a sample of how the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Conference has helped 12 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

 October 2023

W

paid $34,000 in rent arrearages, support made possible through the generosity of OLPH parishioners.

Along with the OLPH, St. Vincent de Paul Conferences of St Dorothea in Eatontown and Christ the King in Long Branch have offered a workshop series, “Getting Ahead,” attacking the underlying causes of poverty. “We always try to look at somebody as having a path forward,” Tedesco said. “Job leads, increasing part-time working hours. We know that Shop-Rite might be hiring, Home Depot might be hiring.”

“Getting Ahead” can handle up to 10 financially struggling neighbors. It’s a 16-month 15- to 20-session program spread over several months. Participants typically meet once a week and they’re paid to attend. “They have lunch and basically they learn how to analyze causes for their financial hardships and their poverty,” Tedesco said. “There’s group dis-

ith colder temperatures approaching, a number of parishes are gearing up to support community housing programs. One program, run by Interfaith Family Services (formerly known as Interfaith Hospitality Network in Ocean County), engages communities of all faith traditions to assist struggling families with children by providing accommodations and meals for three to five families at a time, for one week, several times a year. Parishes that host families as part of the program include St. Joseph, Toms River; Our Lady of Guadalupe, Lakewood; St. Barnabas, Bayville, and Epiphany, Brick. Visitation Parish in Brick serves as a support community that provides needed items to the host congregations. In this 2022 picture, volunteer Pat Rainer tends to an infant staying at the facility located on the campus of Holy Family Parish, Lakewood. Mary Stadnyk photo

Housing rights activists and tenants protest against evictions and the poor condition of their apartments outside the offices the landlord Broadway Capital in Chelsea, Mass., April 25, 2022.

OSV News photo/Brian Snyder, Reuters

cussion and there’s exercises ... but at the end they come up with an action plan” to keep poverty at bay.

COMBATTING LONG-STANDING CHALLENGES

Housing access is “a structural problem that has been brewing in New Jersey for decades,” said Marlene Lao-Collins, Catholic Charities of Trenton’s executive director. “Despite legal measures like the

‘Mount Laurel Doctrine,’ there has been a lack of development of low-income housing. This has had a tremendous, cumulative effect over the years.”

The New Jersey Supreme Court in 1975 established the Mount Laurel Doctrine by banning exclusionary zoning and ruling that each municipality in the state had to put up its “fair share” of housing for low-income residents. Forty-eight years later, some places still resist. Some stall, some sue, some pay other towns to erect affordable housing in their towns rather than in their own.

Pooling resources helps stretch finite dollars. Supporting groups with specific expertise also helps avoid duplicating services.

“We are proud to be a part of the Trenton/Mercer Continuum of Care, which is a consortium of social service organizations working in the municipalities and Mercer County to address homelessness and mitigate as effectively as possible the trauma and disruption that being unhoused causes,” said Arnold “Val” Valentin, who oversees housing and homeless initiatives for Catholic Charities.

Catholic Charities’ Community Services team participated in the Mercer County portion of the annual “Point in Continued on 14

October 2023

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THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 13

In Focus

Helping to make home a reality Continued from 11

Time” survey, which documents the number of homeless individuals who were counted on one day in January,” Valentin said. In the Diocese’s four counties, Burlington County has 933 unhoused people; Mercer County, 714; Monmouth County, 483, and Ocean County, 434.

Catholic Charities maintains a

Returning Citizens to the Community Program with funding from the Mercer County Department of Human Services.

This service is intended to help those released from prison in finding work and a place to live.

Alexis, one of the program’s clients, in a phone interview with The Monitor, spoke of the “debt crunch” he encountered when trying to make it on his own.

Nathan, 22, originally from Texas, who said he has been homeless since he was 16, sits with a sign along 42nd Street in New York City March 1, 2023. Each year, an estimated 4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness. OSV News photo/ Shannon Stapleton, Reuters

Now, with RCCP’s help, “I’m pretty much caught up.”

A Trenton native, Alexis now has both a job and a home. The latter is a one-bedroom apartment with rent at $950 per month. Knowing just what to do after having been removed from the rest of society can be hard, but with Catholic Charities’ help, he said, “it was very helpful and easy.”

“Bishop (David) O’Connell has been incredibly supportive of our Community Services Program,” Valentin said. “The Diocese has provided funding that we are able to funnel directly to people in need through our parish services program. We also partner with the Diocese on our parish counseling services.”

 “We are able to funnel directly to people in need..”

Understanding Homelessness  Pope Francis commented on worldwide housing issues in his 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’”: “Lack of housing is a grave problem in many parts of the world, both in rural areas and in large cities, since state budgets usually cover only a small portion of the demand,” the pontiff said. “Not only the poor, but many other members of society as well, find it difficult to own a home. Having a home has much to do with a sense of personal dignity and the growth of families.”  Homelessness is a pervasive problem throughout the United States.

The National Low Income Housing Commission reports that “no state has an adequate supply of affordable rental housing for the lowest income renters.”  New Jersey, the eighth most expensive state to buy a house, has a typical home value of approximately $484,466, and ranked No. 47 for cost of living affordability.

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Valentin also mentioned Catholic Charities partners with Monmouth County, in administering Linkages, a program that provides temporary housing to individuals and families facing homelessness.

Even food pantries have a role to play, as they lessen the chance that a family is forced to choose between putting food on the table or a roof over their heads.

Still, beyond the Diocese’s scope is “creating the level of affordable housing that is currently needed,” Lao-Collins said. “There are also individuals who may be new to our country who do not qualify for housing assistance; we do not have the resources to be able to help them. But we are engaged where we can be to help address this ongoing issue.”

If solving homelessness and lack of housing access is everyone’s problem,

Members of Catholic Charities’ Community Services team prepare to help with the Point-in-Time Count, which documents the number of homeless individuals who were counted on one day in January. Catholic Charities’ courtesy photo Lao-Collins is waiting for Congress to do its part.

“Right now, the biggest concern is the federal budget and the idea of cutting back on programs to remain under the debt ceiling,” she said. “It is the responsibility of our elected officials to support the needs of the homeless and people with behavioral health issues. The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s Worst Case Housing Needs report really underscores the need for safe, affordable housing for our most vulnerable populations.”

Arnold “Val” Valentin, left, an area director for Catholic Charities’ Community Services, takes a few moments to catch up with Alexis, a client of the Returning Citizens to the Community Program. Catholic Charities’ courtesy photo

CONCERT TO BENEFIT OUTREACH AGENCIES The Better Community Housing of Trenton, Inc., (BCHT) will present its first concert, “You Are the World,” Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. in Sacred Heart Church, 343 S. Broad St., Trenton. The 90-minute concert will include a diverse slate of performers, including the St. David the King Choir, Princeton Junction, TASK’S FunkTaskTiks, Sacred Heart/Holy Cross Gospel Choir, St. Gregory the Great Academy Choir, Hamilton Square, Capital Singers of Trenton Women’s Ensemble and soloists Barbara Thompson and Rev. Crystal Hodges, all uniting through music to cele-

brate Father Brian McCormick, a retired priest of the Diocese, and his philosophy of creating an equitable world.

The concert will benefit two charities that provide housing and food to the needy of Trenton: BCHT, formerly Martin House, which builds, rehabs and finances houses for very low-income families to buy, and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), which supplies meals and wrap-around services that encourage self-sufficiency and improve quality of life in Trenton and beyond.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $25 for a family

of two to five and $10 for additional children under age 18 and seniors and may be purchased at the BCHT office at 802 E. State St., Trenton, or through Eventbrite. Please bring a non-perishable food item for the Sacred Heart Food Pantry.

Police-guarded free parking is available on street and in the CURE Arena lot one block south of the church. The church is handicap accessible in the rear. Father McCormick’s new book, “You Are the World,” will be released at the concert (donation $20) and on Amazon. com.

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We Believe

‘Now and at the hour of our death’ A message on the Month of the Rosary from

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BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

he Catholic Church has been blessed with the intercession of the Mother of God through the Rosary since the early 13th century when, according to Catholic tradition, she appeared to St. Dominic (1170-1221) in 1214 offering him the idea of the Rosary prayers. There are various legends and stories regarding how the Rosary initially came to be but its current form of 15 Mysteries – five Joyful, five Sorrowful, five Glorious, called “decades”– was formally established by Pope Pius V (1504-72) in 1569. Pope St. John Paul II added five Luminous Mysteries to the decades of Rosary in 2002.

I pray the Rosary daily. It gives me the chance to remember the many prayer intentions recommended to me as Bishop by the faithful I meet wherever I go. I recommend it, in turn, to all Catholics.

It can be recited and prayed anywhere, anytime by anyone, young or old, saints as well as sinners. If you have not prayed the Rosary, give it a try. If you already do, teach and share it with others.

In this month of the Holy Rosary, which is also Respect Life Month, what better time could there be for praying the Rosary for the protection of human life

in all its stages and for the conversion of hearts? As Bishop, I invite all the clergy and faithful of the Diocese to join together in praying the Rosary for this and all our special intentions.

Think of your loving mother, whether still with you or living in eternity. Is there anyone who would not want to reach out and hold her hand again? Reach out for the hand of your Blessed Mother in heaven and hold it through her Rosary.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners and for the unborn, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

 “Would any loving son refuse the prayers

October is the month of the Holy Rosary. October 7 is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

This prayer is one of the most popular, meditative prayers of the Catholic Church. Seeking the intercession and help of the Blessed Mother Mary in our daily lives is understandably attractive, praying to her Divine Son through her.

The Mysteries of the Rosary are really contemplations of the whole life of the Lord Jesus – his life, death, and Resurrection – viewed in a real sense through Mary’s eyes. She was “there” after all, present throughout his life. The Rosary, like all Catholic prayer, should lead us to the Lord Jesus with Mary his Blessed Mother as our intercessor and guide. She brings our prayers to him through the Rosary.

Would any loving son refuse the prayers of his mother?

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Joe Moore photo

of his mother?”

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he Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world.”

– Pope St. John XXIII (1881-1963)

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y its very nature the recitation of the Rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and lingering pace. The Rosary is the Bible for those who can neither read nor write.” – Pope St. Paul VI (1897-1978)

RECOMMENDED READING FROM BISHOP O’CONNELL:

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he Rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the Rosary is beyond description.” – Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

“

y holding familiar converse with Jesus and the Blessed Virgin, by meditating on the Mysteries of the Rosary and by living the same life in Holy Communion, we can become, to the extent of our lowliness, similar to them and can learn from these supreme models a life of humility, poverty, hiddenness, patience and perfection. … The Rosary is a prayer both so humble and so simple and theologically rich in biblical content, I beg you to pray it.” – Pope St. John Paul II (1920-2005)

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ome people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today.

All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.” – St. Padre Pio (1887-1968)

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he Rosary should be said with faith, for our Blessed Lord said, “Believe that you shall receive; and they shall come unto you.” – St. Louis De Monfort (1673-1716)

o not cease praying for your children; God’s grace can touch a hardened heart. Commend your children to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. When parents pray the Rosary, at the end of each decade they should hold the Rosary aloft and say to her, ‘With these beads bind my children to your Immaculate Heart,’ she will attend to their souls.” – St. Louise de Marillac (1591-1660)

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ith the Rosary, we allow ourselves to be guided by Mary, model of faith, in meditating on the mysteries of Christ and day after day we are helped to assimilate the Gospel so that it shapes all our lives.” – Pope Benedict XVI

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he Rosary is a school of prayer.

The Rosary is a school of faith.” – Pope Francis n times of darkness, holding the Rosary beads is like holding your Blessed Mother’s hand.” – Anonymous Catholic

Virgin of the Rosary by Domingo Martínez (1688–1749) Oil on canvas. Museum of Fine Arts of Seville, Spain. Wikimedia Commons October 2023

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We Believe

Father Leandro Delacruz blesses the catechists as part of the parish’s Catechetical Sunday observance on Sept. 17. EmmaLee Italia photo

Catechists affirmed, honored during Catechetical Sunday Masses

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

C

atechists serving in the Diocese of Trenton, like their counterparts throughout the nation, stood up before their parish communities during Masses Sept. 17 to receive appreciation and encouragement for their vital work of passing down the faith to the next generation.

The annual observance of Catechetical Sunday unfolded in St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, when volunteer catechists were recognized and celebrated during Mass and the light reception that followed. Father Leandro Dela Cruz, pastor, commissioned the catechists and blessed them for their pivotal role in teaching the Catholic faith to youngsters.

“Catechesis is always very important for our little ones, so we really need to pass on the faith,” he emphasized. “We try to encourage our catechists and parishioners to take up the

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mission to bring the word of God to them, because that’s the best gift we could offer our children. Understanding our own faith and really loving God – especially as we are celebrating the Eucharistic Revival – [we want them to understand] that they should all the more love the Eucharist.”

Catechetical Sunday allows the

includes a monthly family participation option that includes faith formation for parents. “I love it because it affirms parents in their role as the first presenters of the faith to their children,” Maccaroni explained.

“We try to help parents do that with resources and encouragement.”

 “I am inspired with our

In St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., celebrated Mass to mark the parish’s namesake feast day, and blessed the catechists as well.

“What catechists provide in their ministry is often invisible to the wider parish community; parishioners know religious education goes on but may not think of the work being done if they do not have children in the program,” noted Mark Russoniello, St. Robert’s director of religious education. “After parents and family, catechists provide the most personal witness of faith to children in the parish. We cannot thank them or

catechists’ creativity and their innovative ideas ...” faith community to “recognize catechists not only formally in a group but also [at Mass] as a reminder to all listening that ‘it takes a village,’” said Gary Maccaroni, St. Ann’s director of religious education and pastoral associate. “All of us need to take some role in passing on the faith, and we do that in many different ways.”

The parish’s religious education curriculum, “Generations of Faith,”

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WITNESSES OF FAITH

recognize them enough for the important work they do. They are a gift and a blessing.”

Russoniello emphasized the importance of recognizing catechists for their charity, generosity and dedication, calling it “a powerful way of reminding everyone in the parish that we all share responsibility for evangelizing and passing on the faith to others by the example of our lives.”

Sacred Heart Parish, Mount Holly, held a brunch to celebrate its catechists following the commissioning during Mass. Parishioners were invited to thank a catechist by putting a note in a bulletin board mailbox, and to view first and seventh grade collaborations on the Ten Commandments.

“I am inspired with our catechists’ creativity and their innovative ideas, which help the children have an encounter with Jesus,” said Barbara Kane, Sacred Heart’s religious education coordinator.

STRENGTHENING MISSION Denise Contino, director of the diocesan Department of Catechesis, pointed out that “Commissioning catechists and celebrating them on this day shows the entire community that being a catechist is part of the

Bishop O’Connell poses with the catechists during the Mass he celebrated in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold. Hal Brown photo mission of the Church. Their ‘yes’ to passing on the faith is celebrated by the entire parish community.”

“It reaffirms my commitment to teach children about God, and to reach out to the community so they are aware of the mission, which is building the faith,” St. Ann catechist Pat Staltari said of Catechetical Sunday. Her background has included working for more than 50 years with young children with special needs.

“I’ve seen the growth they have, and the need for them to really learn about God,” she continued, “and a big piece of that is support for the parents – they need to learn how to communicate about God to them.”

Pat’s husband, Anthony Staltari, has been a catechist in St. Ann Parish for 10 years, beginning with first grade then settling into the upper grades preparing middle-schoolers for Confirmation. He brings insight from teaching correctional officers and juvenile detention officers of Hudson County, nott Catechists and their students

pray the prayer for the National Eucharistic Revival on Catechetical Sunday in Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Bordentown.

Courtesy photo

ing the importance of seeing teens as “in a transition stage of life.”

Being commissioned in front of the parish gave Anthony Staltari hope because “you know there’s somebody out there, applauding and cheering you on – their spirit helps.”

St. Ann parishioner Tina Cobb, another 10-year veteran of teaching parish religious education, works with first graders and has a teaching background. The commissioning provided on Catechetical Sunday “renews the feeling of bringing the life of Jesus in to starting off a good year with the kids,” she said. The most important thing about her mission as a catechist, she believes, is “getting kids to smile and be joyful as they learn to pray.”

Lorena Patti, longtime first grade catechist in St. Robert’s and craft coordinator for its summer religious education, said she felt honored to participate in the Catechetical Sunday Mass.

“The blessing I received from Bishop O’Connell re-affirmed my saying ‘yes’ to the call to serve,” Patti said. “It reinforced the importance of sharing our faith and the love of Christ with others, especially with children and their families. This blessing and recognition gave me peace and renewed strength to continue my journey as a catechist and to follow Christ more closely, and to teach others about Christ so they can do the same.”

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Vocations

Bishop visits St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, offers encouraging words for seminarians FROM STAFF REPORTS

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n Sept. 27, the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., traveled to St. Charles of Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa., to visit with the Diocese’s seminarians studying there, celebrate Mass and share dinner with the seminary community.

In his homily, Bishop O’Connell shared with the seminarians, including six from the Diocese of Trenton, that he had made several visits to the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris where the body of the saint is preserved and displayed in a glass case. Viewing St. Vincent’s remains, Bishop O’Connell the Bishop recalled, speaks in his homi- was aways “somely about St. Vincent thing quite moving.”

Describing the de Paul, calling him Vincentian founder a “servant of evas “not a tall or diseryone in need.” tinguished looking man,” Bishop O’Connell shared, “I can only imagine him moving about the crowded streets of Paris, hardly noticed as he handed out loaves of bread to the hungry poor. And, yet, even during his lifetime as a priest, Vincent de Paul was regarded as a saint.

“Great and wealthy men and women of his day sought him out for advice and counsel. Priests pursued him for spiritual direction and Confession and would gather for instruction in the proper way to preach, to celebrate Mass and the Sacraments. Elite and noble women invited him into their homes to inquire how they might best serve the poor, the widow and the orphan.

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Seminarians of the Diocese of Trenton pose for a photo with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., after the Sept. 27 Mass he celebrated for them at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. Mike Ehrmann photos “He founded the Congregation of the Mission to preach the Gospel throughout the city and surrounding countryside, and, with the help of Louise de Marillac, he established the Daughters of Charity, inviting them to make the city streets their cloister. No one was too poor, too ignorant,

too marginalized, too lacking in the esteem of the world to escape his notice, his attention, his care. And he asked for nothing in return. He was a ‘priest’s priest’ and a servant of anyone, everyone in need.”

Acknowledging that St. Vincent was Continued on 21

A GREAT VISIT! CELEBRATING THE MEMORY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL WITH SEMINARIANS AND FACULTY A reflection from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.

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ach year, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary invites the bishops of dioceses that send their seminarians there for priest formation to celebrate Mass and join the community for dinner.

I am always happy to accept the invitation to visit the seminary and have the opportunity to be with our seminarians on these occasions. The Diocese of Trenton currently has six of its 16 seminarians studying at St. Charles.

Growing up in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, I was very much aware of the importance of this place within the Archdiocese and had even considered enrolling there before meeting the Vincentians.

The rector of the seminary, Father Keith Chylinski, was kind enough to offer me the opportunity to celebrate Mass this year on the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, the founder of

October 2023

the religious congregation to which I belong.

After Mass, Msgr. Mullelly, vicar for clergy and, director of seminarians; Father Jean Felicien, my priest secretary and master of ceremonies, and I made our way to the seminary dining room for a festive dinner with the seminary community.

St. Vincent de Paul had a profound love for the clergy of his day and identified priestly formation as an important work of the community he founded. My visit to the seminary was a memorable way to celebrate his memory with the priest faculty and young men preparing for the priesthood.

Before Mass, I had the occasion to be interviewed on videotape by Jesse Kundrat, a Trenton seminarian, for the seminary’s YouTube channel. The “Trenton gang” sat together for dinner and enjoyed the opportunity to talk and share a few laughs. It was a great visit!

Vocations

Father Pablo Gadenz, a priest of the Diocese of Trenton and faculty member at Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., back row, second from right, is shown with seminarians from the Diocese. In back row from left are, Tom Gorman, Nick Alescio, Rev. Mr. Wynne Kerridge, Alan Bridges and Andrew Lewandowski. In front row are Pawel Derkacz, Nick Bruno, Brian Leonard and Benedict Quiambao. Staff photo

 Among the seminarians from the Diocese who attend St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook, Pa., shown in back row, from left, are Jesse Kundrat, Rev. Mr. Brian Meinders and Kyle Holler. In front row are, Dominic Amilcare, Harry Kingsmill and Jake Snyder. Staff photo

It’s ‘back to school’ for Diocese’s seminarians as new year of study begins FROM STAFF REPORTS

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s students throughout the Diocese head back to school, so have fifteen of our sixteen diocesan seminarians (one is on a parish pastoral year) to resume

STUDYING TO SERVE Continued from 20

somehow able to “accomplish so much for so many,” the Bishop reflected on the saint’s words: “Let us do our duty well; let us go straight to God; let us work to become very humble, very patient, very mortified, and very charitable.”

their studies for the priesthood at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook (Philadelphia).

Five seminarians are entering their first year of priestly formation and two deacons are completing their final year, lookSpeaking to the seminarians, the Bishop said, “With God’s help, you will continue to succeed in your leadership and in your duties, because Our Lord’s work is accomplished not so much by the multitude of workers as by the fidelity of the small number whom he calls.”

Today, said Bishop O’Connell, the number of priests is smaller, but the “task and ministry before us is greater, is harder, is more challenging than ever. …

Your seminary formation, your studies, your life of prayer, your spiritual reading, your apostolates, your living together as brothers in these years are the ways you ready yourselves for the work ahead.”  Diocesan seminarians join in a friendly volleyball game during Bishop O’Connell’s visit. Courtesy photo

ing forward to ordination June 1, 2024.

Following their retreat and summer work, our seminarians come from all over the Diocese from different parishes, schools and backgrounds. Working with the Bishop, Msgr. Thomas Mullelly serves as Director of Seminarians as well as Vicar for Clergy and Religious.

“Classes are going very well,” remarked St. Charles seminarian Kyle Holler. “I am beginning my apostolate at a parish today. I am very excited!”

“We have gotten off to a great start this semester at the Mount,” observed seminarian Alan Bridges. “We are keeping our traditional ‘Trenton Tuesdays,’ having dinner together and celebrating Compline.”

Father Pablo Gadenz, priest of the Diocese of Trenton and seminary professor at Mount St. Mary, noted, “I just finished the first week of classes and things are going well here.”

“Our seminarians are a great group and the future looks bright with them,” said Bishop O’Connell. “We need to keep them all in our prayers as they pursue their calling and to pray that ‘the Lord of the harvest will send MORE laborers into his harvest!”

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Vocations Keynote speaker Capuchin Franciscan Father Thomas Betz focused his topic on “The Catholic Priest in 2023: Keeping Faith, Living in Hope, Abiding in Love.”

Priests of the Diocese listen to the keynote address. Mary Stadnyk photos

Convocation offers priests time to be renewed in their ministry

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

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s priests, on our own pilgrim way, what do we cling to, what baggage are we dragging along on our journey? What holds us back from living the conviction that Christ is – or should be – ‘everything in all of you?’”

This was one question Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., asked his priests to reflect on during the annual Priest Convocation held Sept. 12-14 in Galloway Township.

The convocation, which was attend-

ed by more than 130 priests this year, offers them time away from parish and diocesan assignments to pray and celebrate Mass together, hear talks and get opportunities to rest and renew.

“People often seek God with greater energy when their need is greater, whether individually or in society,” Bishop O’Connell said, reflecting on the Readings proclaimed during the Mass he celebrated Sept. 13.

“We come before the Lord in our poverty, our hunger, our sadness because in such times we realize that we are not self-sufficient. It is when we recognize and admit our weakness that grace is at

Bishop O’Connell celebrates Mass during the second day of the convocation on Sept. 13.

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its strongest,” he said. “It’s worth thinking about.”

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT A highlight of the gathering was a series of talks given by Capuchin Franciscan Father Thomas Betz, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish, Philadelphia.

Using biblical stories and personal experiences, Father Betz addressed the theme of “The Catholic Priest in 2023: Keeping Faith, Living in Hope, Abiding in Love.”

Father Betz drew an analogy between present day challenges facing priests and the experience of the prophet Elijah who lived during a turbulent time in Israel’s history when the people were worshipping false gods. Elijah was sent to confront the people about their wrongdoings and encourage them to return to God, and was ultimately victorious in his battle.

“True faith won,” Father Betz said.

“The way God remained with Elijah, he will remain with us in spite of all the challenges and upsets.

“God promises to be faithful to the Church,” Father Betz said, “and he will be faithful to you.

“My brothers, remember that God chose you for this time to be a priest,” Father Betz said. “The Catholic Church does good all over the world. The Church

stands as a great beacon of light. Your job is to make the Church a great beacon of light here in the Diocese of Trenton.”

DIOCESAN UPDATE The convocation was an opportunity for Bishop O’Connell to present his customary annual State of the Diocese report in which he reviewed some of the most current statistical information and data drawn from various sources throughout the four counties. When speaking about the financial situation of the Diocese and its most recent audit, the Bishop was happy to present a positive, healthy outlook on diocesan revenues and expenditures.

The Bishop also spoke about pastoral life in the Diocese and ways to encourage the faithful and also spoke of formation from the Holy See, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the New Jersey Catholic Conference and diocesan offices.

Lastly, the Bishop highlighted important dates for the priests to keep in mind for the fall of 2023 and invited his brothers to ask any questions or raise any concerns. Bishop O’Connell announced that two priests were incardinated into the Diocese – Father John Paul Del Rosario, parochial vicar of St. Rose Parish, Belmar,

Msgr. Michael J. Walsh, a retired priest of the Diocese, left, and the Diocese’s newest priest, Father Kevin Hrycenko, who was ordained in June, enjoy conversation.

and Father Paul Janvier, parochial vicar of Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park.

He also acknowledged three priests who were recently awarded doctoral degrees – Father Del Rosario, Father Zachary Swantek, director and Catholic chaplain of the Aquinas Institute for Catholic Life on the campus of Princeton University, and Father Neiser Cardenas, parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, Toms River.

MESSAGES RECEIVED The convocation presentations resonated with Msgr. Thomas Mullelly, diocesan vicar for clergy and consecrated life and director of seminarians.

“We need to keep the faith and have hope even when we find our priesthood challenging,” he said. “We are called to minister today and remember that God is with us at all times.”

For Father Mark Nillo, parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish, Middletown, attending the annual convocation “sets the tone for me for the entire year,” he said. “It’s nice to gather with my brother priests, and hearing the speakers and their topics gives us guidance and makes us grounded.

“I hope the convocation continues for many years to come. It’s a privilege to attend and I thank God for the opportunity,” Father Nillo said. “I am blessed to be a priest of the Diocese of Trenton.”

Well aware that there are fewer priests serving in full-time ministry, Father Jerome Guld, pastor of St. Katharine Drexel Parish, Burlington, said, “one of the side effects is we are busier and don’t spend as much time with each other.

“The convocation is a good remedy for that!” he said.

Father Guld said he appreciated how Father Betz wove stories and experiences and circumstances together “to remind us all of some of the most important aspects of priestly ministry in the real world: serving the poor, helping migrant people and living out the commitment Jesus has called us to.”

The convocation remains one of the highlights of my priestly year,” Father Guld added. “I always find myself arriving early and leaving nearly last, and that says something.”

Father Edward Blanchett, pastor of Visitation Parish, Brick, appreciated Father Betz’s insight into how priests should evaluate and improve their ability to see everything through the eyes of faith.

“He encouraged us to take each of these experiences – good and bad – as opportunities to see Jesus, how he is working through them and how he is challenging us to work through them.”

Father Blanchett added that when he talks with priest friends who visit from other dioceses, one thing they often mention is how close and open the priests of Trenton are to each other.

“That is a great reflection on the Bishop, the presbyterate and the people of our Diocese, and I know that a large part of that comes from our annual opportunity to come together, outside of liturgical occasions, just to learn more about the Diocese from our Bishop and from each other,” he said. “We get a chance to ‘let our hair down’ (figuratively, for many of us) and just enjoy each other’s company.”

VOCATION AWARENESS WEEK OFFERS INFORMATION, PRAYERS FOR RELIGIOUS LIFE National Vocation Awareness Week, celebrated Nov. 5-11, 2023, is an annual weeklong celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations. NVAW began in 1976 and in 2014, the U.S. bishops moved it to the first full week of November.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops shares a wealth of information on its website, explaining how pursuing a vocation could be filled with joy, including prayers, videos, homily notes, a reading list and discerning tips. For further information, see usccb.org/committees/ clergy-consecrated-life-vocations/national-vocation-awareness-week.

For vocations information in the Diocese, visit https://godiscallingyou.org/.

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October 2023

Eucharistic Revival

PARISHES TO LEAD COHORT MISSION, EUCHARISTICTHEMED EVENTS

“Eucharistic Moments with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.” video series will air a new video every Thursday at 10 a.m. for the next 25 weeks on the diocesean YouTube channel: YouTube.com/trentondiocese.

Department of Multimedia Production image

Bishop’s recordings to offer perspectives on Eucharist from holy men, women

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

A

new opportunity to learn what the saints and holy men and women can teach us about the Eucharist is now available online and on the radio in “Eucharistic Moments with Bishop O’Connell.”

Beginning in late September, oneto-two-minute video clips of Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., expounding on the saints’ Eucharistic insight will be posted every Thursday at 10 a.m. for 25 weeks to the diocesan YouTube channel at youtube.com/trentondiocese, and other diocesan social media. Spanish versions will also be posted.

Audio versions of “Eucharistic Moments with Bishop O’Connell” will also play on Domestic Church Radio, which initiated the audio spots idea with Bishop O’Connell, and promoted them to Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).

“In late Spring I asked the Bishop if he would like to record some 60-second ‘Eucharistic Moments’ spots that I could air during the Eucharistic Revival,” said Jim Manfredonia, co-founder of Domestic Church Media – the Catholic media apostolate in Ewing.

Bishop O’Connell recorded an initial six audio spots.

“Obviously, they were very good, so I sent them to Thom Price, who is the Director of Radio Programming at EWTN to see if the network would like

to air them as well,” Manfredonia explained. “Within minutes of receiving my email he responded and enthusiastically asked if the Bishop could record more.

When I asked the Bishop, he agreed to do additional spots. This time he focused on teachings on the Eucharist by various saints, popes and the Vatican.”

In addition to recording the Bishop’s audio versions for DCM, the Diocese’s Department of Multimedia Production also made video recordings of the Eucharistic Moments, holding to the 60-second format. Saints and other blessed, venerable and notable Catholic persons’ input in the audio and video spots will include St. Vincent de Paul, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Blessed Carlo Acutis, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Dorothy Day, St. Ignatius of Antioch, Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict, Pope Francis and many more.

Bishop O’Connell added his own reflections from his 2022 catechetical series on the Eucharist, which can be found at dioceseoftrenton.org/eucharist-series and dioceseoftrenton.org/ eucharist-series-spanish.

The audio spots will be aired on DCM’s radio stations and audio platforms at various times throughout the broadcast day, continuing throughout the National Eucharistic Revival; visit domesticchurchmedia.org for station information, or click on the livestream section of the webite. EWTN will also air the spots on their worldwide radio network at www.ewtn.com/radio/listen-live.

Focusing on the National Eucharistic Revival, now in its parish phase, communities of Catholic faithful across the Diocese are hard at work planning events that draw people into the Real Presence of Jesus. “Our God Keeps His Promises!” will be the theme of a Cohort mission to be held Oct. 23-25 in St. Anthony Church, 626 S. Olden Ave., Trenton.

Hosted by the Lumen Christi Cohort – which comprises St. Raphael-Holy Angels and Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parishes, both Hamilton, and St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square – the mission will be presented each evening from 7 to 9 p.m. by Father Martin O’Reilly, pastor of Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Bordentown, episcopal vicar for Burlington County, and co-coordinator of the Eucharistic Revival for the Diocese.

Over the course of the evenings, Father O’Reilly will unveil the meaning and magnificence of how God has, throughout man’s history, kept his covenant promises to be with his people always.

In addition to Father O’Reilly’s presentations, the schedule includes Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Oct. 23; the Sacrament of Reconciliation on Oct. 24, and the celebration of Mass on Oct. 25. A reception will follow Mass. A night of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is planned Oct. 12 in St. Paul Church, 214 Nassau St., Princeton, from 6:30 to 10 p.m., led by Vincentian Father Thomas Sunil, director of the Divine Mercy Healing Center of Washington, N.J., and Easton, Pa. The evening will begin with praying the Rosary and quiet preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Mass will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m., concurrent with Confessions, and healing Adoration will follow at 8:30 p.m.

Father Sunil has been conducting Catholic Charismatic Prayer Services for more than 17 years and includes retreats and one-day conventions. Founded in 1999 by members of the Vincentian Congregation and lay faithful, the non-profit Divine Mercy Healing Center serves more than 1,000 people annually.  If your parish or cohort are hosting an event for the Eucharistic Revival that you want The Monitor readers to know about, please send to: Monitor-News@dioceseoftrenton.org.

October 2023

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Viewpoints

Next papal conclave seems to have begun

I

n case you didn’t notice, the process of choosing the next pope has begun. No, Pope Francis is still going strong and the cardinals didn’t slip back into the Vatican under cover of night and immediately convene in conclave. But that doesn’t mean the selection process isn’t happening. Look closely and you can see it at work in the sort of speculation and maneuvering that typically precede a papal election.

GUEST COMMENTARY Russell Shaw OSV News

In discussing this subject, it’s important to say at the start that Pope Francis looks to be in good health for a man his age – 87 before the year is out. Yes, he uses a cane and sometimes a wheelchair to get around, but many elderly people do the same. And he keeps up a grueling schedule of travel, meetings, and special events that many younger men would hesitate to tackle.

Note, too, that although a few years ago he was talking about resignation as some day a possibility for him, more recently he has taken to saying that being pope is a lifelong job that he means to see through to the end.

But the signs that we are in a pre-conclave period are there, just the same.

One obvious sign is the appearance in the media, here and there, of lists of papabile – names of men, almost always cardinals, whom the journalists compiling the lists consider to have a reasonable chance of being elected. While the results sometimes are far-fetched, that is no deterrent to the imaginative skills of some of my colleagues. Personally, I have

a notion that the choice could well be an Asian or African cardinal – and there are several Asians and Africans who qualify as papabile.

More significant than papabile lists, however, are things Pope Francis himself has been saying and doing. The Pope has not been talking about leaving the scene in the near future, but there is no question that he has been actively engaged in setting the stage for the choice of a successor who, he hopes, will continue to pursue his great project of creating a synodal Church.

This is most clearly the case in his choice of new cardinals – the men, that is, who will one day be voting for the next Pope. When Francis formally installs 21 new members in the College of Cardinals at the end of this month, he will have named over 70% of the electors who some day will be doing that.

Another part of this picture is the Synod on Synodality that opens October 4 at the Vatican and continues to October 29, with a second session for reaching decisions and making recommendations scheduled for October of next year.

More directly related to the choice of the next pope than anything the Synod on Synodality says or does is the light that their participation in this event will

u In this file photo, before entering the conclave, cardinals concelebrate Mass for the election of the Roman pontiff in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican March 12, 2013. OSV News photo/Paul Haring, CNS 26 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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October 2023

shed on the attitudes and capabilities of potential candidates for the papacy.

Simply stated, the Synod on Synodality, viewed from that perspective, will be a kind of large-scale, semi-public audition for a number of the men who may be thought to have a reasonable chance of one day becoming the 266th successor of St. Peter as pastor of the universal Church.

 The Pope ... has been actively engaged in setting the stage for the choice of a successor ...

This is not to say these synod participants will not be interested in the synod itself. They will. But they will also be aware that what they say and do in that setting is being observed and noted by men who, perhaps fairly soon, will be choosing the next pope.

Russell Shaw, a veteran journalist and writer, is the author of more than 20 books, including three novels. His latest book is “Revitalizing Catholicism in America: Nine Tasks for Every Catholic.” (OSV)

Diocese

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., center, and Marlene Lao-Collins, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton, executive director, pose with the 2023 honorees at the Sept. 21 Guardian Angel Dinner Dance. Courtesy photos

Annual gala was time for Catholic Charities to honor supporters

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

M

sgr. Dennis Apoldite may have been presented with this year’s Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton’s Light of Hope Award for Mercer County, but the way he sees it, it’s his parishioners who deserve the honor and the credit.

“The people of Sacred Heart are very generous,” said Msgr. Apoldite, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Trenton, and episcopal vicar of Mercer County, as he reflected on the natural collaborative spirit that exists between the parish and Catholic Charities’ El Centro program, which addresses the needs of the Latino and immigrant families in Mercer County.

Given that Sacred Heart and El Centro share a campus, there are occasions when the parish allows El Centro to use its facilities to host events. Sacred Heart parishioners also donate regularly to El Centro, including food items and school supplies.

“The parishioners love to support the work being done at El Centro by giving,” Msgr. Apoldite said.

Along with serving as the agency’s signature fundraiser, the Guardian Angel Dinner Dance also provided the occasion to honor the longstanding efforts of

individuals and organizations who work to help those in need. The top honor presented at the gala was the Richard J. Hughes, Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton Humanitarian Award to Michael J. Herbert. The award is named after the 45th governor of New Jersey and Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Along with Msgr. Apoldite and Herbert, the honorees were: The Woman’s League of Mount Holly, Light of Hope Award for Burlington County; Dr. Eric Schwartz, Corporate Citizen of the Year Award, and “Brandon,” Client Achievement Award.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., extended his gratitude and congratulations to Marlene Lao-Collins, executive director, as well as the staff and volunteers for their work. In his remarks he said, “I am so appreciative of our support that enables those in need to receive services and to continue to receive services through the love you show.

“My prayers and blessings to all who work at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton, and to all who enable Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton, to continue to do this important work,” the Bishop continued.

Client Achievement Award recipient Brandon recounted his troubles

Msgr. Dennis Apoldite, center, the recipient of the Light of Hope Award for Mercer County, is congratulated by Bishop O’Connell, left, and Father Jean Felicien, the Bishop’s secretary and master of ceremonies. Courtesy photo with mental health issues, which began about eight years ago when he was 23, and a number of other setbacks including homelessness. With help from his mother and brother, Brandon was put in contact with Catholic Charities Partners in Recovery that assist individuals who suffer with psychiatric and co-occurring disorders, and helps them to function in the community.

“There is a lot I thank God for every day,” said Brandon, who has a job, his own apartment and is active in his church. “I am in a good place right now.”

October 2023

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THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 27

Diocese

‘Our challenges strengthen us,’ priest tells Cursillo members, new leaders

BY THERESA SHUBECK  Correspondent

C

hristians face challenges at various stages of life, but members of the Trenton Diocese’s Cursillo movement have found that meeting those challenges is easier with support from others.

At a Mass for the installation of new lay officers for the movement, incoming director Robert Morris described his 22-year participation in the Cursillo movement as times of greater and lesser involvement, depending upon career and family responsibilities. “We always felt welcome; we are all one community where we help each other.”

Describing his dedication to his position, he summoned words from “The Leader’s Prayer” of Cursillo, “Give us a spirit of self-sacrifice.”

Morris was installed Sept. 15 in St. Martha Church, Point Pleasant. Father Edward Blanchett, diocesan Cursillo moderator and pastor of Visitation Parish, Brick, and Father Andres Serna, parochial vicar of St. Dorothea Parish, Eatontown, concelebrated.

Morris commented on the Scripture of the day, the first letter of St. Timothy, which he said reflected his feelings on his new position: “I am grateful to Him who has strengthened, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry.”

28 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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Father Blanchett spoke of the juxtaposition of the celebratory joy of the Cursillo installation and that day’s feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. In his homily, he described a natural relationship between the challenges to be faced by Cursillo leadership and future joys, just as Mary’s sorrows were transcended by the joy of the Assumption.

“Our challenges strengthen us and guide us. ... We are called through these challenges to reach out to others. We need to remind ourselves that we follow the light of the world, Jesus,” he said.

Outgoing lay director Robert Lauricella faced special challenges during his two-year term: the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite, and in even in view of the challenges, he described his term as “an

Father Blanchett installs new Cursillo leaders from left, Lisa Klarmann, secretary/treasurer; Richard Klarmann, assistant lay director, and Robert Morris, lay director. Theresa Shubeck photo awesome, Christ-filled experience.”

“Keep persevering and pray, pray, pray. My main ambition is to bring people to Christ,” he said.

Cursillo members presented Lauricella with a meditation staff, depicting seven shrines, carved by member John Carlucci.

During the Mass, Richard Klarmann was installed as assistant lay director; Lisa Klarmann was installed as secretary and treasurer. Both affirmed their commitment to fulfill the responsibilities Continued on 65

AT A GLANCE: THE CURSILLO MOVEMENT The Cursillo movement’s purpose is primarily one of evangelization. Members seek to share the Good News of salvation with others in their family, parish, place of employment and community.

The Trenton Cursillo movement, part of a worldwide program, began in 1971 with a Spanish-speaking weekend; the first English Cursillo weekend was held over Pentecost weekend in 1972. At present, two sets of weekends (spring and fall) are offered each year, with separate weekends for men and women. Each consists of prayer, meditations and presentations led by lay and spiritual

October 2023

directors, and small-group discussions.

Retreatants examine their relationship with God and how they might best fulfill His will.

An ongoing follow-up program is offered after the Cursillo weekend. The Ultreya – derived from the Latin word for onward – is a bi-monthly gathering in which participants talk about their lives of discipleship. Friendship groups get together on an even deeper level.

The English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Cursillo movements function separately but with a common spirit. For more information, please visit www.trentoncursillo.org.

Diocese

DIOCESAN

DATEBOOK

To learn more about these upcoming events in the Diocese of Trenton, visit TrentonMonitor.com and click on NEWS>DIOCESE. BISHOP’S ANNIVERSARY BLESSINGS WILL RECEIVE SPECIAL COVERAGE IN NOVEMBER ISSUE OF THE MONITOR MAGAZINE The Bishop’s Anniversary Blessing Masses will be celebrated for married couples Oct. 8 in St. Robert Bellarmine CoCathedral, 61 Georgia Rd., Freehold, for Monmouth and Ocean Counties, and Oct. 22 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, 151 N. Warren St., Trenton, for Burlington and Mercer Counties.

Married couples are marking milestone anniversaries – one, 25, 50 or more years of Catholic marriage – and will be recognized

by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., during the Masses.

A special section on the two Bishop’s Anniversary Blessings events will run in the November issue of The Monitor Magazine, featuring reporting, interviews and lots of poignant photos. Watch for this special tribute in November.

‘WALKING TOGETHER AS CHURCH’ CONFERENCE NOV. 18 “Build Your Knowledge and Skills for Walking Together as Church” is the theme of a daylong conference designed to

provide insights from the work that has been done in intercultural competency to help persons in ministry to understand and appreciate their differences, build unity and work together as Church.

The conference is open to all parish staff, parish council members, leaders, volunteers and bilingual leaders. Terry Ginther, diocesan chancellor and executive director of the Office of Pastoral Life and Planning, will serve as the learning facilitator, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Ruth Bolarte, director of the Office Cultural Diversity Ministries for the Diocese of Metuchen, will be the speaker.

Sponsored by the diocesan Department of Pastoral Planning, the 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. conference will be held in the community room of St. Anthony of Padua Church, 156 Maxwell Ave., Hightstown. Cost is $25 and includes breakfast, lunch and materials.

To register, visit https://dioceseoftrenton.org/walkingtogether-as-church. For more information, contact Jossie Ramos at 609-403-7151 or jramos@dioceseoftrenton.org

MESSAGE OF THANKS TO DIOCESE FOR SUPPORT OF USCCB COLLECTIONS Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., along with the clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese, were recently acknowledged for their generous support of three recent collections sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

In a letter dated Sept. 15, Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, Minn., thanked Bishop O’Connell for the Diocese’s $10,000 contribution toward the National Eucharistic Congress – Bishops Solidarity Fund. Bishop Cozzens, who serves as chairman of the Board of Directors for the Congress, noted, “Your support helps create a movement of missionary disciples to build up our Church.”

He continued, “The National Eucharistic Congress in 2024 will not only be a generation-changing moment in our country, but will also be a profound witness to the global

Church… [to] help others to encounter Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and be sent on mission.”

The Trenton Diocese faithful also awarded a donation of $142,649 toward Catholic Relief Services’ Operation Rice Bowl collection. The program, run annually during Lent since 1975, benefits those in need both domestically and abroad. While 75 percent of the Rice Bowl collection supports CRS’s relief around the world in more than 100 different countries each year, 25 percent of funds stay in each U.S. diocese.

The Diocese also received acknowledgement for its $109,516.23 donation to the 2023 Catholic Home Missions Appeal.

Home mission dioceses are those dioceses in the United States, its territories and former territories that cannot provide basic pastoral services without outside help, such as celebration of Holy Mass, religious education

Reina Padilla and her son Emilson prepare fish for lunch at their home near Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Photo by Oscar Leiva/Silverlight for CRS and ministry training for priests, religious and lay people. Currently, nearly 40 percent of dioceses in the United States and its territories are considered home missions.

From Staff Reports

October 2023

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THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 29

Diocese Jessica Donohue is presented with the annual Rosemarie “Chick” McGinty Award during the 2023 PCL Convocation. With Donohue are from left, Denise Contino, director of the diocesan Department of Catechesis; Terry Ginther, diocesan chancellor and executive director of the Office of Pastoral Life and Mission, and Michelle Angelo-Santoro, associate director of the Office of Catechesis. Mary Stadnyk photos

Laura Marchesini presents her keynote address at the convocation.

There’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to faith formation

P Denise Contino, director of the Department of Catechesis, leads a breakout session on “Providing a Pathway for the Unbaptized and Out-of-Sequence Youth.”

arish catechetical leaders from throughout the Diocese, concerned with meeting the needs of the children and families they serve, gathered for a day of study on various models of catechetical formation for parishes Sept. 7 in Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Bordentown.

Hosted by the diocesan Department of Catechesis and sponsored by William H. Sadlier, Inc., and the diocesan Annual Catholic Appeal, the day began with Mass celebrated by Father Martin O’Reilly, parish pastor and episcopal vicar of Burlington County. After Mass, Terry Ginther, diocesan chancellor and executive director of pastoral life and mission, and Department of Catechesis staff presented the annual Chick McGinty Award to Jessica Donohue, parish catechetical leader in St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton. Each year, the department presents the award in recognition of an outstanding parish catechetical leader who is designated by the ministry.

The day also included a keynote address

by Laura Marchesini, a Sadlier representative, and breakout sessions on topics relating to models of formation.

 For more on this story, visit TrentonMonitor.com> Diocese 30 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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October 2023

Diocese

MOUNT CARMEL GUILD PLANS ANNUAL GALA OCT. 20 All who support the mission of Mount Carmel Guild of Trenton diocesan outreach agency that provides assistance to the poor and vulnerable in greater Mercer County, are invited to attend the 28th Annual Fall Gala scheduled for Oct. 20 in the Trenton Country Club, 201 Sullivan Way, Trenton.

The Gala, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m., serves as the agency’s annual fundraiser and enables the organization to assist those in need of home health nursing, food, utilities and rental assistance and general community support.

Since 1920, the Guild has focused on two goals – to provide assistance through its Home Health Nursing Program and the Community Support Program.

“This gala provides important funding to help the Guld provide basic needs services to those of Trenton and Mercer County,” according to Mary Inkrot, executive director. In 2022, the Guild’s Community Support program averaged 1,400 household visits per month, providing food for 44,000 individuals. Between January and June of this year, the Guild averaged, 1,440 household visits per month.

The agency’s accredited Home Health Nursing program provided 770 units of care for low-income seniors, which include routine medical care as well as nutrition advice.

The Gala will serve as an opportunity to acknowledge a number of individuals and entities who have supported the Guild and its mission. This year’s Award winners are:  Good Neighbor Award: St. Gregory the Great Food Pantry, Hamilton Square (to be received by John Zubricky; St. Ann Parish Altar-Rosary Society, Lawrenceville (to be received by Barb Rowcotsky and Michele McCullough), and The College of New Jersey Student Athletes  Community Service Award: Brian, Judy, Abby and Nate Duff  Bishop Thomas J Walsh Award: Nancy Lucash  Guild Appreciation Award: Laura and Joe Sarubbi  To learn more about the awards and winners, go to TrentonMonitor. com>News>Diocese.

Tickets for the Gala may be purchased online at www.MtCarmelGuild.org/gala, or by calling 609-392-5159 ext. 111.

CHARISMATIC CONFERENCE WITH EUCHARISTIC THEME SET FOR OCT. 28-29 Tying into the National Eucharistic Revival, the 2023 New Jersey Catholic Charismatic Conference “Behold Him!” is planned for Oct. 28-29 in St. Mary Church, 19 Cherry Tree Farm Rd., Middletown.

The conference begins Oct. 28 with a session from 7-9 p.m., and continues Oct. 29 from at 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The event will include worship led by Gez Ford and the Malachi Mission Band; keynote speakers and workshops; Mass celebrated by St. Mary’s pastor, Father Jeffrey Kegley; a healing service and candlelight procession from the main church to the diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat II, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York, will be the keynote speaker on Oct. 28.

Additional speakers for Oct. 29 include Father John Gordon, Secretary for Evangelization in the Archdiocese of Newark, and Gilbert Rodriguez, associate director of adult faith formation in the Archdiocese of New York.

Appointed by Pope Francis in January 2022, Bishop Espaillat is the youngest Catholic bishop and the first Dominican bishop in the United States. A native of Manhattan, Bishop Espaillat was named in 2015 as pastor of St. Anthony of Parish in The Bronx, N.Y., a position he still holds.

He is also the founder of the ministry Messengers of Christ.

Bishop Espaillat has become popular for his unconventional way of teaching, including rapping to young people in his community to help them connect with God. He also hosts a podcast called “Sainthood in the City.” “They think a saint can’t be hip, a saint can’t be cool, a saint, you know, can’t wear hoodies, you know, a saint can’t wear Jordans,” he said.

“We just said, let’s just go out there and let’s do it.”

A dynamic preacher, teacher and evangelist, Father Gordon has served in a variety of parishes over his 34 years of priesthood. He has also served as a high school chaplain and formation direction of

Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat II

Father John Gordon

Gilbert Rodriguez

Gez Ford

the pre-theologate program in Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. Father Gordon was recently named the acting vicar for pastoral life and remains the coordinator of the Office for Evangelization of the Newark Archdiocese. He also serves as the coordinator for the charismatic renewal, and the coordinator for multi-cultural affairs. Father Gordon is a former member of the National Service Team for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and currently serves as a council member for Pentecost Today USA. He is also a member of the People of Hope Community, a Catholic Charismatic Covenant Community.

Gilbert Rodriguez has more than 20 years of experience in evangelization with a heart for young adult ministry.

He earned a Master of Theology degree from St. Joseph’s Seminary and College, Yonkers, N.Y., which fueled his passion for equipping people in revival culture and Holy Spirit empowerment. Rodriguez is an alumni of the Encounter School of Ministry and is currently an instructor at the school’s New Jersey campus. He has been married for eight years to his wife, Franshel; the couple lives in Brooklyn. Registration is $60 per person; for more information and to register, visit dotccr.org/beholdhim.

October 2023

By Emmalee Italia, Contributing Editor 

THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 31

Congratulations and Best Wishes to our Catechists!

We would like to welcome our CCD Coordinator, Mr. Walter Czajkowski, and all our Catechists.

Thank you for all the hard work you put in for our students.

May God continue to Bless you for your dedication to our children and to our Religious Education Program.

Rev. Jacek W. Labinski, S.T.D. Pastor

AND St. Hedwig’s Parish Family, Trenton, NJ

Respect Life

DEACON AND PRIEST TO BE HONORED AT CHAMPION FOR LIFE DINNER OCT. 29.

Mary’s Child Pro-Life Ministry’s 34th annual Champion for Life Dinner will take place Oct. 29 at Spring Lake Manor, 415 Hwy. 71, Spring Lake Heights, beginning with a 5 p.m. reception followed by 6 p.m. dinner.

This year’s honorees are Deacon Rich Weber of St. Rose Parish, Belmar, as 2023 Champion for Life; and Father Jim Whelan, weekend assistant in St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Bradley Beach, with the 2023 Lifetime Father Jim Whelan Achievement award.

“The annual dinner has been an excellent opportunity to educate others on pro-life issues … and to raise funds for outstanding pro-life organizations such as Birth Right, Madonna House, Good Counsel Homes and the Legal Center for the Defense of Life,” said Mary Reilly, president and founding Deacon Rich Weber member of MCPLM. “Father Jim Whelan champions life by always saying ‘yes’ to God, and for showing us how to live God’s will,” said Cynthia Wagner, MCPLM representative from St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, who nominated Father Whelan.

Deacon Weber was nominated by Msgr. Edward Arnister, pastor of St. Rose Parish. “He often reminds us of our call to respect life at all stages, to defend the lives of the unborn, and to work for pro-life causes,” he said.

 For expanded story visit TrentonMonitor.com > Faith & Culture > Respect Life

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IF YOU PLAN TO GO: Dinner Reservations: Registration deadline is Oct. 15. Cost is $70 for adult dinner and $35 for child’s dinner. Please indicate name(s), phone number, email address and parish with registration, as well as number of adult and child dinners, and table seating requests. Checks can be made payable to “Mary’s Child Pro-Life Ministry” and mailed to: Mary’s Child Pro-Life Ministry, P.O. Box 169, Spring Lake, NJ 07762. For more information contact Cynthia Wagner, 732-7180876, or Catherine Minall, 732-749-3090.

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October 2023

Synod

Bishops pray at the start of a session of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican Oct. 9, 2018. OSV News file photo/Paul Haring, CNS

10 things to know about October’s Synod on Synodality in Rome

BY MARIA WIERING  OSV News

T

he eyes of the Catholic world turn to Rome Oct. 4, as the worldwide Synod of Bishops convenes on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi to focus on “synodality” and understanding what it means in terms of “communion, participation and mission” in the Church. Here’s what it is, how we got here and what to expect. 1. The Synod on Synodality is three years in the making.

Pope Francis announced in March 2020 (at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in Italy) that the next Synod of Bishops would be held in October 2022 on the theme “For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission,” which quickly became known as the “Synod on Synodality.” In May 2021, he postponed the two-part meeting to 2023 (with a second gathering in 2024), due in part to the pandemic, and announced that it would be preceded by a two-year process.

That decision reflected Pope Francis’ vision for the Synod of Bishops outlined in the 2018 apostolic constitution “Episcopalis Communio,” including what Cardinal Mario Grech, the general secretary for the Synod of Bishops, described at the time as “transforming the Synod from an event into a process.” Pope Francis officially opened the “synodal path” with a Mass Oct. 10,

2021, with dioceses around the world following suit. 2. Synodality is “the action of the Spirit in the communion of the Body of Christ and in the missionary journey of the People of God.” Despite the long history of synods in the Church, the term “synodality” is relatively recent, emerging in Church documents about two decades ago. In 2018, the topic was addressed by the International Theological Commission, which defined it as “the action of the Spirit in the communion of the Body of Christ and in the missionary journey of the People of God.” Synodality was also a topic of conversation at the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme “Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment” that took place in 2018.

In the Synod on Synodality’s “vademecum,” an official handbook issued in September 2021, “synodality” is described as “the particular style that qualifies the life and mission of the Church, expressing her nature as the People of God journeying together and gathering in assembly, summoned by the Lord Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel,” adding, “Synodality ought to be expressed in the Church’s ordinary way of living and working.”

Continued on 34

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Synod

Ancient roots for modern journey Continued from 33

In his homily for the Mass opening the synod process, Pope Francis said, “Celebrating a synod means walking on the same road, walking together.” He said that when meeting others, Jesus would “encounter, listen and discern,” and those verbs “characterize the synod.”

“The Gospels frequently show us Jesus ‘on a journey’; he walks alongside people and listens to the questions and concerns lurking in their hearts,” he said. “He shows us that God is not found in neat and orderly places, distant from reality, but walks ever at our side. He meets us where we are, on the often rocky roads of life.”

He continued: “Today, as we begin this synodal process, let us begin by asking ourselves – all of us, Pope, bishops, priests, religious and laity – whether we, the Christian community, embody this ‘style’ of God, who travels the paths of history and shares in the life of humanity. Are we prepared for the adventure of this journey? Or are we fearful of the unknown, preferring to take refuge in the usual excuses: ‘It’s useless’ or ‘We’ve always done it this way’?” 3. A synod is a meeting of bishops. It has ancient roots in the Catholic Church’s history and continuity in the Eastern Churches, but declined in the Latin Church. The modern Synod of Bishops was instituted near the end of Vatican II. “Synod” has been historically interchangeable with “council,” such as the Churchwide Council of Nicea or the Council of Trent, or more localized meetings, such as the Plenary Councils of Baltimore, which brought the U.S. bishops together in 1852, 1866 and 1884. The late Jesuit Father John W. O’Malley, a theologian at Georgetown University, noted in a February 2022 essay for America magazine that local councils declined in use following the First Vatican Council, which defined papal primacy, but they didn’t die out: “One of the first things that the future Pope John XXIII did when he became patriarch of Venice was to call a 34 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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diocesan synod,” he wrote.

The idea for a permanent bishops’ council surfaced during the Second Vatican Council, and in 1965 St. Paul VI established the Synod of Bishops with “the function of providing information and offering advice.” “It can also enjoy the power of making decisions when such power is conferred upon it by the Roman Pontiff; in this case, it belongs to him to ratify the decisions of the Synod,” St. Paul VI wrote.

working document known as an “Instrumentum Laboris” for the general assembly’s first session. The document’s authors describe it as “not a document of the Holy See, but of the whole Church.” However, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ report indicates that only about 700,000 Catholics in the U.S. participated, representing just over 1% of the U.S. Catholic population of 66.8 million.

Synod 20 21 20 24

4. The Synod on Synodality is the 16th Ordinary Synod since the global Synod of Bishops’ institution.

Three extraordinary general assemblies have For a synodal Church also been held, including communion participation mission in 2014 to complete the work of the 2015 ordinary general assembly on the family. An 6. The Synod on Synodality’s additional 11 special Synods of Bishops objective boils down to answering a twohave been held to address issues facing a part question. particular region. Among them was a speAccording to the vademecum, “The cial synod on America in 1997 and one on current Synodal Process we are underthe Amazon region in 2019. Synods have taking is guided by a fundamental quesregularly resulted in the Pope, who serves tion: How does this ‘journeying together’ as the synod president, writing a post-syntake place today on different levels odal apostolic exhortation. (from the local level to the universal 5. Preparations for the Synod one), allowing the Church to proclaim on Synodality sought to be the most the Gospel? and what steps is the Spirit extensive ever, with an invitation to every inviting us to take in order to grow as a Catholic to provide input. synodal Church?”

An unprecedented worldwide conThe working document released in sultation occurred at the diocesan/naJune to guide general assembly partictional and continental levels. The synod’s ipants includes many other reflection two-year preparation process invited all questions; but it particularly asks particiCatholics worldwide to identify areas pants to reflect on these priorities, guided where the Church needed to give greater by its focus on communion, participation attention and discernment. That feedback and mission: “How can we be more fully was gathered and synthesized by dioceses a sign and instrument of union with God and then episcopal conferences, before be- and of the unity of all humanity?”; “How ing brought to the continental level. The can we better share gifts and tasks in syntheses from episcopal conferences and the service of the Gospel?”; and “What continental-level meetings were shared processes, structures and institutions are with the Holy See, and they informed a needed in a missionary synodal Church?”

October 2023

7. For the first time ever, nonbishops – including lay men and women – have a vote in the synod.

The synod’s general assembly includes more than 450 participants – 363 of whom are voting members – with leaders from the Vatican curia and episcopal conferences. More than a quarter of synod members are non-bishops, including laypeople, who for the first time will have a vote during synod deliberations.

A deliberate effort was made to include women and young adults. As of July 7, when the Vatican released the initial list, the number of voting women was the same as participating cardinals: 54. The list was subject to change ahead of the synod, organizers said.

In previous synods, some non-bishop participants held the non-voting role of “auditor,” which has been eliminated at this assembly, although some attendees will be non-voting observers, called “special envoys,” or non-voting facilitators or advisers.

The presence of “non-bishops,” according to Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the synod’s general relator, in a letter published at the time the change was announced, “ensures the dialogue between the prophecy of the people of God and the discernment of the pastors.” 8. More than 20 Catholics from the United States have been invited to participate.

Participating American bishops chosen by Pope Francis are Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory of Washington, Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle, Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley of Boston and Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego, California.

Additional bishop-delegates selected by the USCCB and confirmed by Pope Francis are Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas; Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York; Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota; Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort WayneSouth Bend, Indiana; and Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, who leads the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, and serves as USCCB president.

American prelates Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, and Cardi-

Bishop invites laity to pray for the Synod

In a letter sent Sept. 20, 2023, to all priests of the Diocese, Bishop David M O’Connell, C.M., called for prayer among the faithful to usher in the Synod of Bishops set to begin in October.

Bishop O’Connell wrote: “The First Session of the Synod of Bishops 2021-2024 begins Oct. 4 and continues until Oct. 29, 2023 with the theme ‘For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission.’ Our Holy Father Pope Francis has said, ‘Without prayer there will be no Synod.’”

The Bishop continued: “The Holy See’s Secretariat for the Synod has asked all the bishops of the world to encourage the faithful of their dioceses to pray that the Holy Spirit might inspire Synod deliberations by remembering its intentions in prayer and especially at Mass, beginning the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sept. 23-24) and continuing until Oct. 29.

In addition to his letter, Bishop O’Connell sent the priests a “Prayer for the Synod” in multiple languages, asking the clergy to use the prayer in parishes and to publish it on digital media and in church bulletins. In some parishes, the prayer has already been in use at Masses as a post-Communion prayer.

The Bishop’s communique also included a “Final Blessing for Mass” that has been recommended by Pope Francis for use on the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) in English and Spanish.

For the prayers in Spanish and other languages, visit dioceseoftrenton.org/news/faithful-of-diocesecalled-to-pray-as-synod-of-bishops-begins-1

Prayer for the Synod

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We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name. With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts. Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it. We are weak and sinful. do not let us promote disorder. Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions. Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life and not stray from the way of truth and what is right. All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time, in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever. Amen.

nal Kevin J. Farrell, formerly the bishop of Dallas, are also delegates by nature of prior papal appointments. Cardinal Tobin is an ordinary member of the Synod of Bishops and Cardinal Farrell is prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.

Pope Francis also nominated synod member Jesuit Father James Martin, editor-at-large for America magazine and founder of Outreach, a ministry for Catholics who identify as LGBTQ+.

Other U.S. delegates were nominated by the USCCB and confirmed by the Pope. They include: Richard Coll, the executive director of the USCCB’s

Department of Justice, Peace and Integral Human Development; Cynthia Bailey Manns, director of adult faith formation at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Minneapolis; Father Iván Montelongo of El Paso, Texas; Wyatt Olivas, a student at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming; Julia Oseka, a Polish student at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia; and Sister Leticia Salazar, a member of the Company of Mary, Our Lady and chancellor of the Diocese of San Bernardino, California.

USCCB-nominated delegates participated in the continental synod,

October 2023

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Synod

The work of the Synod continues Continued from 35

and Coll, Bishop Flores and Sister Salazar were members of the 18-person North American Synod Team that prepared the North American continental synod report for the U.S. and Canada. Bishop Flores has been named one of nine delegate presidents of the assembly.

Sister Maria Cimperman, a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart and theologian at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and American Jesuit Father David McCallum, executive director of the Discerning Leadership Program in Rome, are among the 57 non-voting experts. 9. In the U.S., the meeting has been a source of great expectation and great apprehension.

The synod has inspired both great praise and deep criticism for its approach, including allowing laypeople to vote; its subject matter, which includes controversial topics such as leadership roles for women, ministry to Catholics who identify as LGBTQ+, and the relationship between laypeople and clergy.

At least one cardinal expressed concern that the meeting could lead to confusion and error in Church teaching.

However, Bishop Flores, speaking recently with OSV News, said the meeting aims to better understand people’s reality so it Timothy E. Ryan Home for Funerals Lavallette, Seaside Park, Toms River, Bayville & Jackson, New Jersey October 2023 Dear Friend, It is said that one of the greatest gifts that God has bestowed on us is the gift of memories. Recalling memories can be comforting to us at times when we feel at our lowest.

Understanding these deep feelings, the Church sets aside the month of November as a time of prayer for all those who have died. In particular, we celebrate the FEAST OF ALL SOULS. Keeping in mind this tradition, I felt it would be proper for THE RYAN FAMILY to remember all the faithful departed by having a Mass celebrated in their memory. In conjunction with ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE PARISH, I have arranged with Father Stephen Piga to have a special MEMORIAL MASS on Friday, November 3, 2023, at 12 noon in ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE CHURCH located at the end of Mule Rd., Toms River, NJ. Father Stephen Piga and the Ryan Family hope you can join us to remember and give thanks for the lives of those who have gone before us. Light refreshments following the mass.

If you will be attending please call my office at 732-505-1900 so we will have an idea about how many will be in attendance.

May the Lord bless you and keep you in His care.

10. October’s meeting is just the beginning.

In an unusual move, the synod general assembly has been divided into two sessions, with the first Oct. 4-29, and the second planned for October 2024. The decision, announced in October 2022, has parallels to the Synod of Bishops on the Family, which met in 2014 for an extraordinary general assembly of the Synod of Bishops, and then continued its work the following year as an ordinary assembly. The work of both meetings culminated in the post-synodal apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”), released in 2016.

Prior to the synod, Pope Francis presides over an ecumenical prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square Sept. 30. Synod participants attend a retreat Sept. 30-Oct. 3 in Sacrofano, about 16 miles north of Rome. The retreat includes morning meditations – offered by Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe of the United Kingdom and the Benedictine Rev. Mother Maria Ignazia Angelini of Italy – afternoon small-groups and Mass.

Meanwhile, the Taizé community and other organizations have organized a meeting in Rome that weekend called “Together – Gathering of the People of God” for young people to pray for the synod.

The synod’s general assembly opens Oct. 4 with a papal Mass that includes the new cardinals created at a Sept. 30 consistory. Among them is expected to be Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Maria Wiering is senior writer for OSV News.

For more on the Synod, look for these headlines on https://trentonmonitor.com/xvisynod-of-bishops Vatican offers details on how synod will work, media access Inside, outside: Synod to focus on the church and its role in the world Five reasons why St. Francis is a model of synodality Synod sojourn: Listening for simple whispers of the Spirit Synod and family, the communication skills are the same Stay connected with TrentonMonitor.com for ongoing real-time coverage of the Synod of Bishops.

Sincerely, Erin Ryan

36 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

can better minister to them. “We can’t respond with the Gospel if we don’t know what the reality they’re facing is,” he said of people, especially those on margins and in difficult situations.

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October 2023

Pope Francis

God has the same love for all

BY CINDY WOODEN  Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY • People often are tempted to think their relationship with God is some kind of commercial transaction where they buy God’s grace with their hard work, Pope Francis said.

Another temptation is to judge others and presume that they have not worked as hard to deserve God’s love, the Pope said Sept. 24 as he commented on the day’s Gospel reading before reciting the Angelus prayer with some 18,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

St. Matthew’s account of the parable of the vineyard workers, who worked different hours but received the same pay, is not about the workers, but about God, the Pope said.

The workers who were in the field all day are annoyed that those who worked only an hour receive the same pay, which the Pope said reveals how “sometimes

we risk having a ‘mercantile’ relationship with God, focusing more on our prowess than on the generosity of his grace.”

And, he said, sometimes “the Church, instead of going out at all hours of the day and extending our arms to all, we can feel like we are the first in the class, judging others as being far behind, without remembering that God loves them, too, with the same love he has for us.”

The Gospel also has implications for Christians’ relationships with other people, the Pope said. It urges them to “break out of the cage of calculation,” in which people give others only what they receive or only what they think they deserve, “without daring to go the extra mile, without counting on the effectiveness of good done freely and love offered with a broad heart.”

Pope Francis also urged his listeners to notice that it is the vineyard owner who keeps going out to look for workers; they are not coming to him.

Visitors gather in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican to pray the Angelus with Pope Francis Sept. 24, 2023. CNS photo/Vatican Media

FROM POPE FRANCIS ON TRENTONMONITOR.COM:  Jesus, the living God, helps believers on path to holiness  Pope to confessors, faithful: Forgive always, like God

“This is how God is,” the Pope said.

“He does not wait for our efforts to come to us, he does not make an examination to assess our merits before seeking us out, he does not give up if we are late in responding to him,” but he takes the initiative.

“He is always looking for us and waiting for us,” Pope Francis said. “Let us not forget this: the Lord always seeks us and awaits us, always!”

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Church

Message in Marseille: Welcoming the ‘stranger’ is a global mandate

BY CAROL GLATZ  OSV News VATICAN CITY • In a visit of under 30 hours to Marseille, France, Pope Francis highlighted his key appeals and positions concerning migration and the mandate for people of faith to care for the “stranger” in one’s land.

“I hope I have the courage to say everything I have to say,” he told the journalists flying with him from Rome for the Sept. 22-23 trip.

What he said has been the main thrust of his whole pontificate: The world must choose either the path of human fraternity and cooperation to have any kind of peaceful future or choose the downward spiral of indifference, division and confrontation. And, most importantly, the faithful must be exemplary models of the right path of sharing and caring for the outcast with joy and compassion.

The trip to the port city of Marseille was less about the city or nation and more about the Mediterranean Sea it touches.

The Mediterranean has been a constant concern of this Pope. It is the most dangerous migration route in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration. The estimated number of recorded deaths between 2014 and 2022 is

more than 24,000 people.

“We need deeds, not words,” Pope Francis said during a powerful moment when he led a minute of silence with bishops from around the Mediterranean, local religious leaders and groups assisting migrants. All those “who are at risk of drowning when abandoned on the waves must be rescued. It is a duty of humanity; it is a duty of civilization!” he said.

The Pope praised humanitarian groups that carry out rescue missions and condemned those who block them; opponents claim the groups encourage people to attempt illegal crossings. The Pope said impeding these rescue efforts are “gestures of hatred against one’s brother” and he appealed for “balance.”

The cultural and religious diversity on display at the memorial ceremony and in Marseille underlined another important message of the Pope: diversity can be an opportunity, not a threat. He praised the city’s long-standing active dedication to interreligious dialogue and mutual cooperation on concrete issues promoting fraternity and peaceful coexistence.

The prime purpose of the Pope’s visit was part of a Church-led series of meetings that brings bishops from around the Mediterranean region together with a

People gather for Mass with Pope Francis at the Vélodrome Stadium in Marseille, France, Sept. 23, 2023.

CNS photo/Lola Gomez

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October 2023

variety of leaders and young people.

The meetings, which began in Bari, Italy, in 2020, recognize that the complex problems of migration, human trafficking, environmental degradation, conflict and economic disparities between North and South require strategies that involve multiple nations and sectors of society.

In a speech at the final session of the “Mediterranean Meetings” at the Pharo Palace Sept. 23, the Pope covered all of that and more.

 “We need deeds, not words.”

The duty to protect the dignity and foster the well-being of every migrant is no different from the duty to protect the unborn, the elderly, young people who lack guidance, exploited workers, families and those who are escaping violence and persecution, he said. “Indeed, the real social evil is not so much the increase of problems, but the decrease of care.”

When it comes to migration, people have the right to not have to flee their homes, he said in that speech, and this calls for greater global justice.

“The Mediterranean mirrors the world,” he said, with the North exuding “affluence, consumerism and waste” while the South or developing countries are “plagued by instability, regimes, wars and desertification.” The change needed for “peace to take root,” he said, is for communities to treat newcomers as brothers and sisters, to integrate them and give them dignity through coordinated, equitable, legal and regular channels of entry.

The Pope’s final event, a huge joyful Mass in the city’s Vélodrome Stadium Sept. 23, gave him the chance to renew people’s hope and trust in God. With so much indifference, insensitivity, selfishness, cynicism and sadness in the world, he said, “our life and the life of the Church, France and Europe need this: the grace of a leap forward, a new leap in faith, charity and hope.”

World & Nation

Armenian Catholic bishop: Nagorno-Karabakh exodus marks ‘very sad and dark days’

BY GINA CHRISTIAN  OSV News More than 66,000 people – over half of the total population of 120,000 – have fled Nagorno-Karabakh as of Sept. 27, abandoning the historic Armenian enclave (known in Armenian by its ancient name, Artsakh) located in southwestern Azerbaijan and internationally recognized as part of that nation.

“History is repeating itself,” Bishop Mikael A. Mouradian of the California-based Armenian Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Nareg told OSV News.

He said the exodus of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh marks “very sad and dark days for Armenians.”

The outflow comes after a Sept. 20 ceasefire following a Sept. 19 offensive launched by Azerbaijan troops against Nagorno-Karabakh.

As part of the Russian-brokered ceasefire, Nagorno-Karabakh forces acceded to Azerbaijan’s demands for complete disarmament.

 “History is repeating itself.”

The attacks, which Azerbaijani forces called an “anti-terror” operation, killed at least 32 people, including seven civilians, and wounded another 200. Karabakh officials said they recovered an additional 100 bodies, including those of two children and an elderly couple, in the rubble.

Those casualties were compounded by a Sept. 25 explosion at a fuel station near the enclave’s capital, Stepanakert, as residents prepared to drive to Armenia.

The blast killed at least 68 and injured 290, while over 100 are still missing, according to the enclave’s authorities.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., a Catholic lawmaker and member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting, who authored the Azerbaijan Democracy Act in 2015,

Refugees from the NagornoKarabakh region in Azerbaijan ride in a truck upon their arrival at the border village of Kornidzor, Armenia, Sept. 27. OSV News photo/Irakli Gedenidze, Reuters

issued a Sept. 25 statement announcing legislation to “avert further atrocities and prevent ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijani forces in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

The Preventing Ethnic Cleansing and Atrocities in Nagorno-Karabakh Act of 2023 (HR 5686) calls for U.S. diplomatic monitoring of the region, humanitarian aid, 24-hour video monitoring of Armenian cultural sites, foreign military aid to Armenia while ending such aid to Azerbaijan, and new sanctions on those responsible for the Lachin Corridor blockade.

The rapid exodus has shown that few of the enclave’s residents have confidence in Azerbaijan’s announcement that it planned to “reintegrate” the enclave’s residents into Azerbaijani society.

Mouradian told OSV News that he has received reports of “persecution and torture of civilians.” He pointed to “a very disturbing video” had received Sept.

27 showing an Azeri soldier “literally slaughtering like a butcher an old and defenseless Armenian man.”

In recent interviews with OSV News and other media, Mouradian has repeatedly stressed that Azerbaijan intends to conduct “ethnic cleansing” among the enclave’s residents.

On Sept. 27, Azerbaijan announced it

had arrested Nagorno-Karabakh’s former state minister, Ruben Vardanyan, as he attempted to cross into Armenia.

The enclave’s government announced it will dissolve itself.

The attacks and ceasefire were preceded by a months-long blockade of critical supplies to the enclave, resulting in what U.S. Agency for International Development chief Samantha Power called “severe malnutrition” among residents.

Since December 2022, the three-mile corridor – the only road leading from Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh – had been closed by Azerbaijan, depriving the enclave’s residents of food, baby formula, oil, medication, hygienic products and fuel.

Power and the U.S. State Department’s acting assistant secretary, Yuri Kim, met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan Sept. 25, assuring that nation of U.S. support.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev Sept. 26, urging “no further hostilities ... unconditional protections and freedom of movement for civilians (and) ... unhindered humanitarian access to Nagorno Karabakh,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller at a press briefing.

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Region

LANDMARK ATLANTIC CITY CHURCH OFFERS WEEKLY TOURS Anyone wishing to visit Atlantic City’s St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church that is located on Pacific Ave. and was founded in 1902, are welcome to do so on Sunday mornings.

As of Sept. 10, the feast of St. Nicholas of Tolentine and just a week shy of the 118th anniversary of its dedication, the church began offering weekly tours.

Although tours had previously been offered sporadically, and usually upon request, planned tours are now available every Sunday at 11:15 a.m. Following the 30-minute tour, guests will be encouraged to join the parish community for the noon Mass.

A sampling of what visitors can expect

Photo by John Kalitz, courtesy of Catholic Star Herald

not to mention an impressive pipe organ in the choir loft. Read a full story on St. Nicholas of Tolentine at TrentonMonitor.com>Faith&Culture.

to see inside the church are five altars, 18 murals, 52 symbols associated with the Passion and Death of Christ, and some 142 stained-glass windows that were hand-crafted in Germany and Philadelphia,

Celebrating Couples Married...1 year • 25 years • 50+ years

2023 Bishop’s Anniversary Mass &

Anniversary Blessings

A special tribute to the anniversary couples who are being blessed in 2023 by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will be featured in the November issue of THE MONITOR MAGAZINE.

Congratulations & warm wishes to these couples celebrating a special anniversary....

Cheers to 50 years, Thomas & Rita Brenner!!

Happy 50th Anniversary!

May God continue to bless you.

Love, David, Jen, Gabriel, Nathan, Christopher, Ryan, Luca, Aniella, Melissa, Jerry, Dimitrios & Andrew

WE INVITE YOU to place a paid message of congratulations and expression of love to your spouse, or, to the anniversary couple in your family.

Paul & Eileen Rolleri

OPTION  3.5” x 1” AD....... $25 OPTION  3.5” x 2” AD....... $50 OPTION  3.5” x 3” AD....... $75

Josefina & Maximo Madridejos Jr.

Congratulations to our dear parents, on your 50th Wedding Anniversary!

May the Lord continue to watch over your union and bless you both.

Congratulations Dad and Mom

on your 50th Golden Anniversary!

Happy 50 th Anniversary Rosemarie & Anthony Pagano!

TO PAY BY CREDIT CARD: Submit your message and payment info online to dioceseoftrenton.org/congratulations-messages

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October 2023

Celebrating “25” Years Together!

Linda & Jimmy Waters

1970

2021

Lord, we thank you for the many blessings we have enjoyed throughout our 50 years together.

Your love and dedication to each other and your family is an inspiration to us all. We are so grateful for all you do for us.

Email your photo to: Monitor-Marketing@dioceseoftrenton.org

40 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

Where Love & Dreams Join Together, Where Today & Tomorrow Become Forever!

This is such an inspiration to our family and hope Jing and I can also accomplish this amazing milestone .

Thank you so much for showing us how love and faith can keep a marriage so strong. We love you both so much and wish you many more anniversaries to come.

Love always, Jeff, Jing, Tyler and Cameron

Messages will also appear in a digital edition on TrentonMonitor.com

Deadline for submission: Thursday, October 19, 2023

Love, Jennifer, Michael & Monica

With love - Marla, Sal, Silvia and Marco, & Philip, Alison, Noah and Jude.

A complimentary copy of this special Keepsake Edition will be sent to those who placed a paid message.

Questions? EMAIL Monitor-Marketing@dioceseoftrenton. org OR CALL 609-403-7153

Happy 50th Anniversary to our

Carol and Vince Cooneyparents .

Wishing you both continued love and happiness for many years to come!!

Our faith in you, our love for you, and our love for each other, have brought us to this milestone. We ask that you continue to be with us in the days ahead.

We love you always & forever, Janine, Ed, Eddie and Jack 42

THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  November 2021

Dan and Nina Gowaty

CONGRATULATION AD SAMPLES

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

O

n October 22, as we observe World Mission Sunday, we stand in solidarity with the Missions of the Church in this annual worldwideEucharistic celebration.

Pope Francis reflected on this year’s theme: “Hearts on fire, feet on the move.”

The Holy Father invites us to kindle the fire of Christ’s love in our hearts and to actively share this warmth with the world around us. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we go forth and bring the Good News to all corners of the world.

Founded by French laywoman Blessed Pauline Jaricot in 1822, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith is an essential source of aid for the Church’s missionary work. In the United States, we benefited from these donations: up

until 1908, we received close to 7 million dollars, the equivalent of over 250 million today. Those dioceses in our country, considered mission territories, continued to receive subsidies. Fairbanks, Alaska, was the last of those dioceses and received its final subsidy payment this year!

The World Mission Sunday collection assists the Holy Father in meeting his Petrine obligation to build up the Church in over 1,100 dioceses and territories that are too young and/or too poor to sustain themselves. Offerings support the formation of seminarians and religious men and women, assist in the construction of schools and orphanages and enables missionaries to build churches in remote and resource-limited areas, and to meet essential works to proclaim the Gospel and celebrate the Sacraments.

Embodying this year’s theme, I urge

A Message from

BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M. you to keep your hearts aflame and your feet moving this World Mission Sunday.

Your prayers are invaluable, and your financial support provides life-giving aid to our brothers and sisters in the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Gratefully in the Lord,

e Most Reverend David M. Th O’Connell, C.M. For additional resources about World Mission Sunday, please visit onefamilyinmission.org/resources.

October 2023



THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 41

World Mission Sunday

Dear Friends in our Mission Family,

2023 OFFICE OF MISSIONS DONATION CITY, PARISH

P

eace!

World Mission Sunday will be celebrated this year Fr. Peter James on the weekend of Oct. 21 Alindogan and 22. Our Diocesan celebration will take place in St. Gregory the Great Church, Hamilton Square, on Oct. 22 at the 12 p.m.

Mass.

Marleyna Kaufmann, a student from the Religious Education Program of St. Veronica’s Parish, was one of 24 young people from throughout the country to have her artwork selected as a winner in the National Christmas Art Contest of the Missionary Childhood Association. It will be an honor for me to present the award to Marleyna. We will also recognize Olivia Maleson, a fourth grade student in St. Gregory the Great Academy, for her generosity and innovative work to raise money for the Missions, along with her classmates.

As Bishop O’Connell has shared, “Hearts on fire, feet on the move” and World Mission Sunday gives us this important opportunity to reach out to the Mission Church, to speak about our faith and about missionaries who proclaim the Gospel as they serve the poor. We each can participate in this worldwide moment for prayerful and financial support for the Pope’s missions.

I humbly and sincerely ask for your own joyful participation in the Church’s worldwide moment for prayerful and financial support for the Church’s Missions, particularly our collection for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.

Through this collection, you provide for more than 1,100 mission dioceses in territories covering more than half the globe. Your prayers and sacrifices will support priests, religious, and lay pastoral leaders who are proclaiming the Gospel, building the Church, and serving the poor and most vulnerable. Their work and witness to Christ brings both practical help and God’s love, hope and peace.

May your help and love for the Church’s Mission, which is a passion for Jesus and a passion for His people, grow ever stronger. I thank you as well for all you do for the missionary work of the Church each October.

United with you in prayer and faith,

Rev. Peter James Alindogan Diocesan Director of Missions 42 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE



October 2023

MISSION SUNDAY

Missionary School Year 2022-2023 Cooperation October 2022 Plan 2022* Schools Rel. Ed.

Allentown • St. John $1,500 Asbury Park • Mother of Mercy $2,100 Atlantic Highlands • Our Lady of $2,076 Perpetual Help-St. Agnes Barnegat • St. Mary $2,040 $1,134 Bay Head • Sacred Heart Bayville • St. Barnabas $3,374 Belmar • St. Rose $4,832 Beverly • Jesus, the Good Shepherd $1,060 Bordentown • Mary, Mother of the Church $1,189 Bradley Beach • St. Teresa of Calcutta $2,749 Brick Town • Epiphany $479 Brick Town • Visitation $2,039 Brick Town • St. Dominic $3,410 Browns Mills • St. Ann $813 Burlington • St. Katharine Drexel $1,026 Cinnaminson • St. Charles Borromeo $1,175 $250 Colts Neck • St. Mary $838 Delran • Resurrection Eatontown • Immaculate Conception $435 Eatontown • St. Dorothea $1,313 $889 Ewing • Incarnation-St. James $1,200 Fair Haven • Nativity Farmingdale • St. Catherine of Siena $995 Forked River • St. Pius X $1,375 Freehold • Co-Cathedral of $2,936 St. Robert Bellarmine Freehold • St. Rose of Lima $2,058 Hainesport • Our Lady Queen of Peace $4,075 Hamilton • Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony $1,263 Hamilton Square • St. Gregory the Great $4,625 Hamilton • St. Raphael-Holy Angels $1,223 Hightstown • St. Anthony of Padua $1,200 Holmdel • St. Benedict $1,400 Holmdel • St. Catharine $2,879 Hopewell • St. Alphonsus $1,044 Howell • St. Veronica $4,296 Howell • St. William the Abbot $593 Jackson • St. Aloysius $3,286 Jackson • St. Monica $294 Keansburg • St. Ann $1,030 Keyport • Holy Family $1,719 Keyport • Our Lady of Fatima $1,008 Lakehurst • St. John $1,668 Lakewood • Our Lady of Guadalupe $7,189 Lavallette • St. Pio of Pietrelcina $1,076 Lawrenceville • St. Ann/St. Michael $2,289 Lincroft • St. Leo the Great $500 Little Egg Harbor • St. Theresa $2,466 Long Beach Twp. • St. Francis of Assisi $5,298 Long Branch • Christ the King $1,840

$4,018 $3,160 $3,585 $13,086 $100 $6,016 $9,880 $17,558 $315 $2,240 $604 $5,298 $409 $11,047 $1,788 $4,550 $284 $9,810 $1,311 $1,979 $2,585 $508 $399 $10,275 $1,060 $4,306 $241 $2,137 $500 $1,650 $160 $2,167 $137 $12,566 $1,360 $3,800 $558 $10,000 $10,064 $1,042 $5,000 $787 $6,969 $343 $4,502 $1,575 $1,180 $16,448 $1,321 $5,800 $2,285 $7,065 $2,375 $3,187 $2,439 $0 $3,721 $5,584 $3,769 $4,437 $4,000 $5,544 $0 $6,091

$558 $420 $605 $175

$562 $352 $173 $200 $77 $999 $464

$580

HEARTS ON FIRE, FEET ON THE MOVE (cf. Lk 24:13-35) REPORT CITY, PARISH

*MCP 2022, Partial or total collection remitted after 12-31-2022 MISSION SUNDAY

Missionary School Year 2022-2023 Cooperation October 2022 Plan 2022* Schools Rel. Ed.

Manalapan • St. Thomas More $4,345 $4,837 Manasquan • St. Denis $2,107 $4,449 $867 Maple Shade • Our Lady of Perpetual Help $821 $3,128 Marlboro • St. Gabriel $616 $10,820 Marlton • St. Isaac Jogues $1,713 $1,845 Marlton • St. Joan of Arc $6,338 $5,000 $4,771 $646 Matawan • St. Clement $1,817 $3,331 $615 Medford • St. Mary of the Lakes $4,844 $6,286 $1,554 $1,489 Middletown • St. Catherine Laboure $1,844 $4,346 Middletown • St. Mary $2,404 $4,029 $1,048 Millstone Township • St. Joseph $512 $2,268 Monmouth Beach • Precious Blood $533 $2,845 $210 Moorestown • Our Lady of Good Counsel $1,510 $4,203 Mount Holly • Sacred Heart $931 $3,912 $749 Mount Laurel • St. John Neumann $1,804 $2,760 Neptune • Holy Innocents $1,847 $5,937 $309 New Egypt • St. Isidore the Farmer $2,216 $2,575 Pennington • St. James $2,630 $3,405 Point Pleasant Beach • St. Peter $1,588 $6,032 $605 Point Pleasant • St. Martha $4,506 $8,942 Princeton Junction • St. David the King $1,800 $13,116 Princeton • St. Paul $2,793 $6,950 $293 $4,028 $2,401 $5,485 Red Bank • St. Anthony of Padua Red Bank • St. James $3,244 $6,897 Riverton • Sacred Heart $979 $2,543 $750 $819 $4,372 $795 Rumson • Holy Cross Sea Girt • St. Mark $2,793 $7,714 Seaside Park • St. Junipero Serra $720 $6,615 $334 Spring Lake • St. Catharine $5,548 $26,871 Tabernacle • Holy Eucharist $780 $3,804 Titusville • St. George $1,070 $2,454 Toms River • St. Joseph $6,145 $16,225 $2,936 $902 Toms River • St. Justin $1,501 $9,652 $572 Toms River • St. Luke $5,541 $6,348 Toms River • St. Maximilian Kolbe $3,162 $7,055 Trenton • Korean Martyrs $193 $1,188 Trenton • Our Lady of the Angels $631 $520 Trenton • Sacred Heart $1,778 $2,072 Trenton • St. Hedwig $659 $298 Trenton • St. Joseph $1,322 $5,291 Trenton • St. Mary of the Assumpstion Cathedral $1,500 $2,500 Wayside • St. Anselm $203 $3,683 West End • St. Michael $2,670 $9,737 West Long Branch • Our Lady of HopeSt. Jerome $2,700 $2,311 $4,527 $973 West Trenton • Our Lady of Good Counsel $859 $1,834 Whiting • St. Elizabeth Ann Seton $2,045 $4,649 Willingboro • Corpus Christi $500 $2,250 Yardville • St. Vincent de Paul $733 $639 Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy $120

2023 AWARDS

C

ongratulations to the following parishes and schools who have the highest contributions to the missions this year. This is based on the amount they gave as reflected on the number of enrolled students. Thank you for your help and support.

Per Capita Contributions ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: First place: St. Jerome School, West Long Branch Second Place: St. Joan of Arc School, Marlton Honorable Mention: St. Joseph School, Toms River Total Contributions RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAMS First Place: St. Paul Parish Religious Education Program, Princeton Second Place: St. Mary of the Lakes Parish Religious Education Program, Medford Honorable Mention: St. Charles Borromeo Parish Religious Education Program, Cinnaminson

DIOCESAN WORLD MISSION SUNDAY MASS The diocesan observance of World Mission Sunday will take place Oct. 22 at the 12 p.m. Mass to be celebrated in St. Gregory the Great Church, Hamilton Square.

Father Peter James Alindogan, diocesan missions director and pastor of St. Veronica Parish, Howell, will be principal celebrant of the Mass.

Olivia Maleson and her classmates in St. Gregory the Great Academy will be recognized for their fundraising initiatives for Haiti, through the inspiration of Sister Lisa Valentini.

2023 ANNUAL REPORT Year ending 12/31/22 CASH RECIEPTS Personal Donations Legacies Bination Stipends Mass Stipends Missionary Cooperation Plan Interest Mission Sunday Collection

$4,415 $0 $83,086 $11,445 $487,750 $114 $242,049

$828,859 DISBURSEMENTS The Society of the Propagation of the Faith Missionary Childhood Association Mssionary Cooperation Plan Mass Stipends Society of St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Near East Welfare Association

$239,159 $43,138 $507,712 $13,150 $477 $3,021

$806,657 *Includes WMS collections from Oct. 2021 October 2023

 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 43

World Mission Sunday

Father Alindogan reflects on

BY FATHER PETER JAMES R. ALINDOGAN  Special Contributor

T

hey called him Miguel from Guyana. After months of arduous hikes and hitchhiking rides through the Brazilian Amazon, Peruvian Amazon and the Andes mountain range, he found his way to Chile. It was in the city’s bus terminal, where he slept for days, begged for food and ate out of trash cans and garbage bins.

Miguel was in his early twenties when I met him in the Migrant Center, ministered by the Columban Fathers.

With a stricter immigration law, he could not be legally employed. He is one of the thousands of undocumented immigrants in the country. He is also legally blind.

Columban Father Daniel Harding has dedicated his ministry to serving the needs of migrant workers in Chile.

His blindness did not dampen his spirits in seeking a better life.

Miguel’s life story is not unusual for migrants. Father. Dan Harding, a Columban priest I met in Santiago, had dozens of other sad stories about desperate Father Peter James Alindogan, right, diocesan missions director, migrants from various is photographed with Columban Father Daniel Harding, left, and parts of Latin America.

Miguel, during his visit to Chile earlier this year.

There was the couvery modest living selling chocolates and ple, Ursula and Michel, who dreamt of ice creams to motorists at traffic lights, a better life than what they had in Haiti. they always say to me in their broken Ursula cleaned homes, while Michel Spanish, “Haiti, bad, very bad, bad. Chile, worked as a day laborer. They lived with good, very good, a better life.” many other Haitian migrants in an overI am also a migrant myself. I have crowded shed of a house, where people migrated from the Philippines and am slept in double bunks and mattresses on now a citizen of the United States. But the floor. Ursula became pregnant, gave my life story is far, far different from the birth to a baby girl, and suffered an infecmigrants I met in Chile. tion. Since she did not speak Spanish, she We, Christians, comprise half of the was unable to explain her condition to the world’s migrants. If ever there is some medics. She died eventually of septicemia. positivity in the migrant crisis happening Angel had a different and sad story. right now, and the plight of thousands of He was a lawyer and a public servant in migrants in other parts of the world, it is Venezuela. But one day, he was attacked the glimmer of hope present in the eyes physically by a group of thugs in Caracas, and spirits of our fellow migrants, when robbed him and left him almost dead. It we share our faith belief and values. If the was his country’s high rate of crime and poancestors of Jesus were migrants – notably litical decay that led him to join thousands Joseph, Moses and Ruth – then we could of Venezuelans in migrating to Chile. His not but recall what Jesus once said, “I was family was left behind, and he is sending a stranger and you welcomed me.” the little money he earns back to them.

Migrants are homeless, just like all Father Dan related that at one point, of us, in the wider scheme of things and he was buying some dry dog food in a of our faith. Our home is in heaven. We supermarket when he ran into some of have a moral obligation to take care of his parishioners. Several of them were each other, especially the needy, the poor migrants from Haiti. They told him, “Poor and truly, the homeless. families in Haiti make meals of dried dog Father Peter James R. Alindogan serves food, mixed with dried milk powder.” as diocesan missions director and pastor of Father Dan thought about this encounter St. Veronica Parish, Howell. He traveled to and wrote the following in his journal, Chile in February.

“Even though these parishioners make a

 For Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Day 2023, visit TrentonMonitor.com> From Pope Francis 44 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE



October 2023

Photos courtesy of Father Alindogan

mission experience in Chile

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THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 45

Spirituality

Shu t te r s to ck. co m ima ge

Our Challenging Journey THE WORD

Father Garry Koch

OCT. 1  ARE WE HEARING THE VOICE OF THE FATHER? Ez 18: 25-28; Phil 2:1-11 or 2:1-5; Mt 21: 28-32

W

ith all of the noise in our lives today, discerning God’s will for one’s life is even more challenging than it was in years past. It is even more likely, given the increased secular notion of society, the desire to discern God’s will is deeply muted.

The parable that we hear in this Gospel about the son who says “yes” and then refuses to act as compared to the son who refuses the request of his father and then regrets his decision and does as his father had requested anyway, speaks to each one of us as we make those decisions which affect each of our lives.

OCT. 8  THE SIN OF GREED REACHES DEEP WITHIN US Is 5:1-7; Phil 4:6-9; Mt 21:33-43

T

he parable we hear this weekend is about many things and can be read in a multitude of ways. While we often read this parable as a foreshadowing of the rejection of Jesus by the Jewish authorities, it can also be read as the rejection of the promises of God to each

one of us. We can all allow the worldly allurements, the possibility of wealth, power or influence to reign supreme in our lives, so much so that we kill the prophets and the promise made to us for faithful discipleship. It is easy to believe that we are silencing the Lord through the noise of our lives.

OCT. 15  WE WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN BUT NOT SO MUCH TO MASS Is 25:6-10A; Phil 4: 12-14, 19-20; Mt 22:114 or Mt 22:1-10

T

he parable of the king who invited guests to the wedding feast of his son, only to find that many of them had other things to do that they felt more important than attending, has immediate application to our lives today. We have embarked on a period of Eucharistic Revival in the Church in our country, for we all need to be reminded of the centrality of the Eucharist and the Mass in our lives. The Lord invites us to the weekly banquet and many times we say “no” to that invitation. But not one of us wants to say “no” to going to “heaven.”

We need to remember that what we say today is a foreshadowing of what we say to the Lord when it really matters.

OCT. 22  BEWARE OF THOSE WHO TRAP YOU INTO MAKING FALSE CHOICES Is 45:1, 4-6; 1 Thes 1:1-5B; Mt 22:15-21

T

he struggle between our obligations to our secular government and our religious obligations might be real.

But for many, they have been a ruse to choose one over the other.

Those who came to Jesus and asked whether or not they should pay their taxes knew the benefits of doing so. They weren’t interested in taxes, they wanted to trap Jesus in a political or religious snare. While our nation – when it’s convenient – boasts of a “wall of separation” between Church and state, it’s more of a blurry line that causes much confusion for the faithful disciple.

OCT. 29  THE TOTALITY OF THE GOSPEL CAN BE SUMMED UP IN LOVE Ex 22:20-26; 1 Thes 1:5C-10; Mt 22:34-40

L

ove of God and love of neighbor are the two unequivocally central commandments of our faith. All other commandments, laws and precepts of the Church, and the demands of ordinary discipleship flow from these two.

Loving God is, of course, an abstraction.

Other than worship there is nothing that one’s love for God does for God, but the implications of love of neighbor are immeasurable. Love demands two things: intentionality and action. Both need to be present and at work in our lives if we are to be faithful disciples of Jesus.

Father Garry Koch is pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel.

 To read extended versions of Father Koch’s columns, visit TRENTONMONITOR.COM>FAITH & CULTURE>YOUR FAITH 46 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE



October 2023

Spirituality

Cultivating the garden of the soul with humility

I

was first introduced to Harry Emerson Fosdick through a quote: “… real Christians do not carry their religion; their religion carries them. It is not weight, it is wings. It lifts them up, it sees them over hard places. It makes the universe seem friendly, life purposeful, hope real, sacrifice worthwhile.

It sets them free from fear, futility, discouragement, and sin – the great enslaver of men’s souls. You can know a real Christian when you see him, by his buoyancy.”

What a powerful description of our faith, I thought, and what an amazing image, as I remembered watching parish volunteers make hundreds of sandwiches, pack them into lunch bags and then into boxes to deliver to those who waited for them at an ecumenical center in town. They power walked throughout the morning, with a spring in their step, propelled upward and forward like Neil Armstrong walking on the moon.

 True humility is not possible without self-knowledge ...

Mary Morrell

oto

h sh p



nspla

October 2023

U Lee/

ion and enjoyment – from our Lord, a babe swaddled in the simple clothes of humble birth, whose life was a sacrificial offering of love for each one of us.

At every time of year, the heart of our faith is the humility of the Nativity; God, the creator of all things, born a vulnerable infant into a stable full of animals and the care of a young, inexperienced mother chosen by God. It was this paradoxical love of our Creator that Paul tried to explain to the Corinthians: ‘God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

When St. Teresa of Avila founded the Discalced Carmelite Order, she identified three virtues that must be lived in her communities – love of neighbor, detachment from created things, and humility, with humility being the foundation.

She also stressed that true humility is not possible without self-knowledge, which we seek when we purposefully examine our own sinfulness in the light of God’s perfection.

In her book, “The Interior Castle,” St. Teresa writes, “Self-knowledge is so important that, even if you were raised right up to the heavens, I should like you never to relax your cultivation of it; so long as we are on this earth, nothing matters more to us than humility.”

Or, as beautifully expressed by another Carmelite, “Every garden requires good soil in order to be productive; in the garden of the soul, that soil is humility.”

The Apostle Paul’s words and St. Teresa’s wisdom remind us to look in the mirror so we may grow in the good soil of humility and remember whose children we are.

Mary Clifford Morrell is editor-in-chief of The Catholic Spirit, the Metuchen Diocesan publication.

Zane

I wanted to know more about this man, who I would discover was an American clergyman, a Baptist minister who often preached in the Presbyterian Church. He was a proponent of liberal Protestantism, and felt the Christian faith had room for people of many opinions regarding Christian doctrine.

While surely, Harry and I would have disagreed about many things, I was certain I would have enjoyed the conversations and the opportunity to gain his insights on what weighs a Christian down, taking the spring out of his step.

I think we would have been in agreement that one of the greatest impediments to being lifted up by faith is a lack of humility and our tendency toward self-absorption.

In fact, in his influential book in the emerging field of pastoral counseling, “On Being a Real Person,” Fosdick wrote, “At very best, a person wrapped up in himself makes a small package.”

How different is such a person – swaddled in pride and enamored only of his own opin-

THINGS MY FATHER TAUGHT ME

THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 47

Spirituality

Sports fandom and sin, a little-known U.S. apparition it a sin to go to a ballgame and wish bad things for the Q. Isother team? (Austin, TX) that depends on what is meant by “bad things.”

A. IIt’ssuppose not a sin to go to a ballgame and hope – or perhaps even pray – that our preferred team would win. And naturally, prayer for the victory of one team implies our hope that the other team would lose. The other team potentially losing is a “bad thing” that is baked into the very nature of the game as a possibility, so hoping that our team will win, even at the expense of the other, is entirely legitimate.

However, it would be wrong to harbor a wish or a desire for anyone’s serious and real harm. It likely would be a sin to, for instance, hope specifically that the star player on the opposite team sustains a career-ending injury, or that some other tragedy would befall the team or its players. there is a shrine in Wisconsin recognized as having had Q. Ia read Marian apparition. Why hasn’t it been made more public?

(Albany, NY)

Looking for an alternative to talk radio and mainstream media?

bearfotos - www.freepik.com

there is a shrine in Champion, Wisconsin (near the A. Yes, city of Green Bay) which is at the site of a recognized

Come back to the TruTh.

Four Catholic radio stations communicating the joy of the Gospel with both local and EWTN content:

• Streaming live 24/7 at

domesticchurchmedia.org

• Find us on Facebook Live and YouTube live • Listen on your radio or download our FREE app for digital devices Find our programming schedule on our website, and ways to make us part of your charitable giving!

Marian apparition – the only approved Marian apparition within the national borders of the United States.

The story of Our Lady of Champion – until recently called “Our Lady of Good Help” – began in 1859 when a young Belgium immigrant named Adele Brise saw a woman in white appear between two trees in the middle of a path through the woods. The woman identified herself QUESTION CORNER as “the Queen of Jenna Marie Cooper Heaven” and told OSV News Adele: “Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.” Adele subsequently devoted her life to catechizing the local children, and over time other women came to join her in her work. Adele’s father built the first small chapel over the spot where Our Lady had first appeared; this was later replaced by a larger church, and eventually the grounds of the shrine came to include a convent and a school building as well.

The first great miracle associated with the apparition site occurred on October 8, 1871, during the Great Peshtigo Fire.

Fearing for their lives, the people from the surrounding countryside fled to the grounds of the shrine, where Adele led them in prayer for Mary’s intercession and deliverance. Although the flames destroyed 1.2 million acres, the fire stopped just short of the grounds of the shrine, charring the outside of the shrine’s fence but leaving everything within it miraculously untouched.

Over the years many other healings and miracles occurred at the site, evidence of which is still visible there today.

I have personally visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Champion on more than one occasion, and I don’t know why it is not more well-known as a national place of pilgrimage. One thought is that, although the shrine is a beautiful and prayerful place, it is much smaller and more humble than other, more famous Marian apparition sites like Lourdes and Fatima. Another possible historical reason is that although the Great Peshtigo fire was the most destructive in American history, it is often overshadowed by the Great Chicago Fire which occurred at roughly the same time. Because of this, the shrine’s miraculous preservation from the Great Peshtigo Fire might be easy to overlook.

Finally, on a practical level, traveling to rural Wisconsin can be difficult from many other parts of the United States.

Still, the Our Lady of Champion is very much worth a visit!

And given that Our Lady loved humility in her earthly life, the humbleness of her shrine here shouldn’t deter would-be pilgrims.

Jenna Marie Cooper, who holds a licentiate in canon law, is a consecrated virgin and a canonist whose column appears weekly at OSV News. Send your questions to CatholicQA@osv.com.

Questions about the Catholic Faith will be addressed on The Question Corner. To view the feature, visit TrentonMonitor.com>Commentary>Columns

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Freepik image

Family Life

The Eucharist and Service: Giving to others what we have received Aside from our natural, God-given inclination to serve and help one another, Special Contributor the Eucharist also shows us the way – f all the ways we can connect both in the example of Christ’s miracuour hearts to our minds lous sacrifice for each human being, each in our beautiful Catholic beloved by God, and through the grace faith, service to others may we receive in the Sacrament. In fact, right be the most powerful and efficient! No before we leave Mass, we are told to “Go matter where we are in our faith journey forth to love and serve the Lord,” to be – whether we have been Christ in the world for practicing Catholics our others, strengthened by AT whole lives, or maybe just receiving all of Him in the returning after a long time Eucharist. Since this is the away from the Church – year of Eucharistic Revival and no matter our age or in our parishes, it is an Making Faith Come Alive for Your Family station in life, every human especially opportune time being is capable of sharing to think about how we can God’s love with another person. serve others, get into the habit and make In fact, we are not only capable of service through our faith a regular part of serving one another, but we are called EN our lives. Here are a couple of ideas to get to do so by Christ. This truth is revealed your family started: to us over and over in the Scriptures in • Think of volunteer activities that Haciendo que la fe passages as powerful as they are wellrelate to the Eucharist. The Eucharist for se mantenga viva known. Not only is this truth essential to us is the greatest spiritual food, the “bread en tu familia our Catholic faith, but science concurs of angels,” as St. Thomas Aquinas wrote. that being of compassionate service to one In gratitude for this spiritual sustenance, another also benefits us directly. Study consider volunteering as a family for a after study has demonstrated that there soup kitchen, starting a meal train for a are clear correlations between giving of loved one or member of your community ourselves to others, and better health, ingoing through a difficult time, or look into creased happiness and peace, and overall beginning a ministry in your parish which enhanced well-being. provides home cooked meals to those who

BY JESSICA DONOHUE 

O

FA IT H HOM E

FE CA SA

Faith at Home is a monthly column coordinated by the Diocese of Trenton’s Departments of Catechesis, Evangelization and Family Life, and Youth and Young Adult Ministry. For additional Faith at Home resources, visit dioceseoftrenton.org/faith-at-home.

have recently lost a loved one. A good resource for organizing meals is https:// takethemameal.com, which not only provides an actual platform for organization, but also has helpful resources on topics such as how to support someone going through chemotherapy, how to avoid burning out as a caregiver and more.

• Look for local organizations that provide opportunities for service projects you can do at home and/or according to your family’s schedule. Technology is definitely our friend when it comes to this! A quick Google search on “family service projects near me” will most likely offer you several starting points.

• Ask your children for ideas of how your family can serve. Getting kids involved with the planning aspect of service will help to increase their interest – and sense of responsibility – for what you are doing, and hopefully help them develop a heart for service well into the future.

During this year of Eucharistic Revival, we each have a special opportunity to bring the light of Christ to others, both within our parishes and in our greater communities. Through service, we are honoring the great gift we receive in Holy Communion in a way that expresses His beautiful teaching to us: “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you” ( John 15:12).

Jessica Donahue serves as director of religious education in St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton.

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Keynote speaker Paul Sanfrancesco addresses Catholic Athletes for Christ students and coaches on the positive and negative influences of social media. John Batkowski photo Bishop O’Connell enjoyed meeting students from the various high schools during the Catholic Athletes for Christ Mass and gathering.

Here the Bishop poses for a photo with the students from Red Bank Catholic High School, Red Bank. Staff photo

Catholic Athletes urged to keep

faith at forefront while on social media

BY CHRISTINA LESLIE  Correspondent

T

here are no secrets in social media, and the content you post follows you for years, said Paul Sanfrancesco, keynote speaker at the annual Catholic Athletes for Christ meeting Sept. 26 on the campus of St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold.

Teens from Catholic high schools throughout the Diocese of Trenton sat spellbound as Sanfrancesco, director of technology for St. Joseph University,

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Philadelphia, related tales of athletes on the high school, college and professional levels losing acceptance, scholarships and team membership due to something they shared on social media platforms, even from many years ago.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., was principal celebrant and homilist for the accompanying Mass. In his homily, he advised the athletes to “get in the game,” that is, to prioritize their Catholic faith “with the same energy and passion that we take onto the field, or the court, or the track or the pool.”

“We must take our faith with us

October 2023

there as Catholic Athletes for Christ.

When we hear the Word of God and act on it with faith, the most important victory in life will always be ours! So, ‘get in the game,’” he said.

Sanfrancesco told the student athletes their social media posts “should have good character, discipline and common sense. ... If you think your digital footprint doesn’t matter, you’re wrong. As Catholics you have to ask yourself: Are you ready for people to see that account today?”

Looking at the numerous tech savvy

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CATHOLIC

High School Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Trenton have much to offer students of all abilities and interests, all while providing a Christ-centered environment and instruction in the Catholic faith. Along with cutting-edge academics, technological tools and competitive athletic teams, these schools are also committed to nurturing students’ spirit and faith.

SHOWCASE

Following are profiles of Catholic high schools in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

ST. ROSE HIGH SCHOOL 607 7th Avenue, Belmar www.srhsnj.com OPEN HOUSE: Wednesday, Oct. 18, 6– 8 p.m. Register at srhsnj.com/admissions/open-house CONTACT: Admissions office: Jen Tallarico 732-681-2858 x: 709 | admissions@srhsnj.com

generous support of alumni and friends, St. Rose High School has been able to greatly enhance our academic offerings.

Combined with an innovative drop schedule, we have opened a performing arts studio, a Business Academy, a “Maker Space” STREAM Room, a robotics program and broadcasting studio. All of these additions augment our already expansive curriculum. Athletics and an array of extracurricular activities play an integral part in our educational program. Athletes apply their training to real-life situations, giving full effort in everything they do. Our athletic program includes more than 25 varsity sports, many junior varsity and freshman programs.

Our goal at St. Rose High School is to meet the needs of all our students and to provide the most rewarding Catholic experience possible.

ST. JOHN VIANNEY HIGH SCHOOL Proud of our Past, Prepared for our Future 540A Line Road, Holmdel www.SJVHS.org

S

t. Rose High School is a vibrant, co-ed shore community whose faculty and families are committed to providing our students with a faith-based, quality Catholic education. Our rigorous curriculum includes college prep, honors and advanced placement classes. With the

OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 21, 9 a.m. and Oct. 26, 7 p.m. Register at sjvhs.org/openhouse CONTACT: Patti Gilmartin, 732-739-0800 x 155 | gilmartin@ sjvhs.org Continued on 52

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CATHOLIC

High School SHOWCASE CONTACT: Kristen Amnott, 732-747-5113 | kamnott@ redbankcatholic.com

Continued from 51

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ituated on 38 acres in Holmdel, New Jersey, St. John Vianney High School provides a Catholic education that nurtures the soul of each student while providing an authentic college prep experience. SJV’s vibrant community offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities, including first-rate athletics. As a Catholic school, we go beyond just academics and activities. SJV educates the whole person – mind, body, and spirit.

SJV promotes an educational environment that supports the growth of each of our students. We provide an advanced curriculum with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. A 4x4 block schedule format allows students to accelerate their learning to an advanced level and remediate weaknesses in any curricular area. We offer many levels in all subjects ranging from college preparatory, Honors, Advanced Placement, and Dual Enrollment.

We also offer qualified students the Early College Academy and Business Academy. The Early College Academy allows our students to graduate with 64 college credits and an Associate Degree in Computer Science or Social Science.

The Business Academy combines college courses from the University of Delaware, Georgian Court University and Brookdale Community College with real-life experiences through speakers, field trips, and both on and off-campus business initiatives. Our campus is technologically advanced to provide for seamless learning and all students receive tablet computers equipped with the latest educational software. SJV also has athletic fields, a lighted turf athletic stadium, a 12,000 square foot fitness center, and a state-of-the-art performance theater – facilities that help support our 35+ student clubs and 30 sports programs.

RED BANK CATHOLIC

R

ed Bank Catholic is a vibrant, beloved, Catholic co-educational institution with a deep tradition, an extraordinary spirit and a record of achievement in the classroom, on the athletic fields, onstage and beyond.

RBC was founded in 1927 in the heart of the city of Red Bank. With 166 courses offered, including 20 advanced placement, 26 honors, 24 dual-enrollment college-level courses and Capstone project opportunities, each student’s schedule is tailored around their individual strengths and interests, and 100 percent of our graduating senior class continues on to higher education post-graduation.

The vast array of extracurricular opportunities offered at RBC includes our 28 competitive varsity sports, our award-winning performing arts programs, over 60 clubs and activities, and our semester-long internship program, which 30 students participated in during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Red Bank Catholic’s students come from over 50 towns and 70 schools. They are young men and women of competence, compassion, commitment and curiosity, and together with over 15,000 alumni, they make up the “Casey Family.”

NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL Dynamic, diverse Catholic community, rooted in the Mercy Core Values: Respect, Integrity, Justice, Compassion and Service. Co-ed / college preparatory 601 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville

Join the Tradition 112 Broad Street, Red Bank

www.ndnj.org

redbankcatholic.org

CONTACT: Laura Sarubbi, 609-882-7901 | admissions@ ndnj.org

OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 26, 7 – 9 p.m.

OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 15, 2 – 4:30 p.m. Registration required – visit redbankcatholic.org 52 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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Continued on 54

70+ Advanced Courses

SAINT JOHN VIANNEY HIGH SCHOOL

OPEN HOUSE

Early College Academy

Business Academy

October 21, 2023 9 a.m.

October 26, 2023 7 p.m.

30+

Athletics

15:1

35+

Student Teacher Ratio

Clubs

For more information, contact the Office of Admissions (732) 739-0800 x 155 or 117 or email gilmartin@sjvhs.org

Saint John Vianney High School 540A Line Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733

Scan to register!

DEVOTED to learning

Open House Thursday, October 26 7:00 - 9:00 PM

SCAN TO RSVP

ndnj.org | 601 Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 October 2023

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THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 53

CATHOLIC

High School SHOWCASE a positive and empowering environment, preparing them with a foundation of values for life rooted in our Mercy Core Values of Justice, Compassion, Service, Respect and Integrity. Notre Dame is a place of growth – intellectual, personal, social and spiritual – and a school always growing in excellence.

Continued from 52

DONOVAN CATHOLIC

N

otre Dame High School offers a powerfully well-rounded college preparatory experience strongly grounded in Catholic values. This experience combines equally outstanding programs in academics, athletics, the arts, service learning and student leadership. We serve students from a range of backgrounds and with a diversity of strengths, providing every learner with the right level of academic challenge. We welcome each one into

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The high school community of Donovan Catholic educates its students to live their faith, respect and serve others in a global society, and pursue academic excellence in a college preparatory environment.

711 Hooper Avenue, Toms River donovancatholic.org OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 15, 2 - 4 p.m. and Oct. 16, 6 - 8 p.m.

Apply Today at - www.donovancatholic.org CONTACT: 732- 349-8801| Grade 9 Admissions Coordinator- Lori Jensen, ext- 2429 | Transfer Student & International Student Admissions Coordinator- Donna Dicosta, ext-2426

S

ince our founding in 1962, Donovan Catholic Catholic High School (DCHS) has been a leading choice for motivated students seeking a Catholic education with an individualized educational experience. As the only co-educational Catholic high school in Ocean County, DCHS is uniquely positioned to offer a safe student-centered learning environment in the Catholic tradition of excellence in education. Donovan Catholic educates its students to pursue academic excellence by choosing a course from our comprehensive course offering guide

that offers courses beyond our core college prep and honors classes, including Advanced Placement courses, Dual Enrollment College credit, and prestigious enriching electives. The class of 2023 was awarded a total of $41,845,300.00 in college scholarships. Our Catholic identity mirrors the teachings of Pope Francis: the principles of forgiveness, love, and service to others will support the school’s commitment to enriching the faith of the entire Donovan Catholic community. Students must complete service hours and volunteer their time in our local community. The high school community of Donovan Catholic educates its students to live their faith, center their lives, and make decisions based on Christian principles and Gospel values by being an ambassador for Christ.

VILLA VICTORIA ACADEMY Creating Tomorrow’s Leaders 376 West Upper Ferry Road, Ewing villavictoria.org Continued on 56

October 2023

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CATHOLIC

High School SHOWCASE V

Continued from 55

OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 25, tours from 5-6 pm, 6-7 pm light supper and chat with current parents. Pre-Registration required at villavictoria.org/admissions/open-house/ CONTACT: Colleen White, 609-882-1700 ext. 419 | cwhite@ villavictoria.org

CREATE YOUR CBA LEGACY!

October 25 / 4:30-6:30 p.m.

October 28 & November 18

CBALincroftNJ.org 56 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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October 2023

illa Victoria Academy, established in 1933, is one of the oldest, all-girls Catholic schools in New Jersey.

The high school provides girls with small, college-prep classes with individualized attention. The mission of Villa is to respect the inherent dignity of each individual, to educate the whole person, instill character and confidence, and to empower young women to reach their full potential and influence the world in a truly Christian manner.

Villa is owned and operated by the Religious Teachers Filippini and draws students from both New Jersey and Pennsylvania to its 44-acre campus. Faculty and staff include lay men and women and our religious sisters. Villa operates a traditional schedule of eight classes per day for 40 minutes each. Recent updates include a TV studio, a state-of-the-art dance studio, and a strength, training and conditioning room.

Financial aid is available to all students, and scholarships are available to those entering ninth grade. The High School Placement Test for potential applicants will be held Oct. 28 and Nov. 11. ($40) In addition, VVA will be offering an HSPT Test Prep Class for any boy or girl in

8th grade. Cost is $80 for five classes and the first class is Oct. 12 from 5-6:30 pm. Contact the Admissions office to register for either or both.

TRENTON CATHOLIC PREPARATORY ACADEMY Home of the Iron Mikes 175 Leonard Avenue, Hamilton www.trentoncatholicprep.org OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 12, 6-7:30 p.m. To learn more visit trentoncatholicprep.org/admissions

BE YOUR BEST.

CONTACT: 609-586-3705 x 119 | rrogers@trentoncatholicprep.org

C

o-ed Pre-K through grade 12 school that educates a diverse student body to be responsible citizens of a global society through a challenging, relevant, and innovative curriculum centered in Catholic traditions and values.

Located on a beautiful, quiet 64-acre campus in suburban Hamilton, NJ, Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy, Inc. is a PreK-12 school with a demanding preparatory curriculum. TCPA prepares a universal population to succeed now, in college and beyond. The Upper and Lower Schools are located in separate wings connected by a corridor. Students share a chapel, gymnasium and cafeteria.

Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy leads the way with outstanding academics, first-rate Robotics and STEM education, Project Lead The Way programs, High School Esports League and FIRST Lego League, while providing a safe and inclusive environment that embraces service, diversity, and acceptance for all.

Our highly competitive athletic teams play in topnotch facilities; the gymnasium, baseball, track, and soccer fields have received extensive renovations over the last five years.

The Upper School is anticipating a 100% graduation rate and projecting over $4 million in college scholarships and grants to be given to our students.

STUART COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL OF THE SACRED HEART A Sacred Heart independent Catholic girls’ school for grades K-12 with a co-ed preschool and junior kindergarten program for ages 3 and 4.

1200 Stuart Road, Princeton

Guiding girls to reach their full potential since 2013.

OPEN HOUSE

ENTRANCE EXAMS

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Saturday, October 21, 2023 Saturday, November 18, 2023 Saturday, January 27, 2024

101 CORREGIDOR ROAD | TINTON FALLS, NJ | 07724 | WWW.TRINITYHALLNJ.ORG

CHERRY HILL, NJ

Admissions Events

Register online camdencatholic.org/admissions

Open House

Irish Experience Visit Day Visit CCHS in action with a student guide. Take class, enjoy lunch and get to know us.

Thursday, October 26 at 6:30PM

Scholarship & Placement Test*

Saturday, November 4 at 8:30AM 8:30AM Check-In 9:00-12:00PM Test *Required as a part of the admissions application process

SCAN HERE TO REGISTER FOR ADMISSIONS EVENTS

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CATHOLIC

High School SHOWCASE the framework of the goals and criteria of the Schools of Sacred Heart.

With a highly personalized and rigorous curriculum, exceptional faculty who know girls well, and the space given to grow in their faith, Stuart girls graduate as compassionate and empowered global citizens who are driven to be forces of change in our world.

Continued from 57

www.stuartschool.org

HOLY CROSS PREPARATORY ACADEMY The only independent co-ed Catholic preparatory school in Burlington County 5035 Route 130 S., Delran www.hcprep.org OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 14, 2 p.m. and Nov.11, 1 PM. Register at stuartschool.org/openhouse CONTACT: 609-921-6118, hnastro@stuartschool.org.

S

tuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart is a leading preschool to Grade 12 private school in Princeton designed just for girls. Stuart’s mission is to educate young women to a life of leadership and service within

Open House Thursday November 2 6:30 p.m.

OPEN HOUSE: Tuesday, Oct. 24. Pre-registration: https:// hcp-nj.client.renweb.com/oa/?memberid=17509 Please note, registration is not required CONTACT: Darian D’Alfonso, Director of Admissions Email: ddalfonso@hcprep.org or admissions@hcprep.org

H

oly Cross Preparatory Academy offers a collegiate-style block schedule of single-semester courses, ensuring

Scholarship Test Saturday November 4 8:30 am

To register:

To register:

Paul VI HIgH ScHool 901 Hopkins Road, Haddonfield, NJ 08033 (856) 858-4900 • www.pvihs.org 58 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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October 2023

Paul VI HIgH ScHool 901 Hopkins Road, Haddonfield, NJ 08033 (856) 858-4900 • www.pvihs.org

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS ACADEMY An outstanding Catholic day school for boys on the high school level.

850 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft www.cbalincroftnj.org OPEN HOUSE: Oct. 1, 12 – 3 p.m.; Oct. 25, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Pre-registration recommended. cbalincroftnj. org/admissions/welcome CONTACT: Jennifer Maccarella, 732-747-1959 x 217 | admissions@cbalincroftnj.org

students feel comfortable when they step into their first college classes. Each student is provided a laptop and access to class material online to enhance the learning process.

Through partnerships with Rowan College of Burlington County, Seton Hall University, and Holy Family University, HCPA offers dual-credit courses totaling up to 60+ college credits. Our Guidance Office utilizes Naviance to help students through the college application process and provides students the opportunity to meet with college admissions counselors during the annual College Fair and regular visits from universities. Our teachers also provide summer sessions on campus to help students complete additional college requirements, such as essays and resumes.

Specialized classes are offered in engineering (STREAM), forensic science, graphic design and accounting. Visual and performing arts allow students to explore their talents in our studio, inside the dark room or on the stage. The proud athletic history at Holy Cross is visible in the numerous sectional and state titles lining the walls of our gymnasium. Lancer Nation ensures that positive values and our shared faith are integrated throughout all activities, with teams and clubs regularly participating in group service projects, Masses or prayer services.

C

hristian Brothers Academy has built a reputation rooted in excellence, basing our educational philosophy on the Lasallian tradition. We focus on developing every aspect of our students through unique activities both in and out of the classroom. Our faculty is committed to a rigorous academic curriculum, while helping each student reach his full potential.

The principles of faith and service remain ever-present in our community, always giving our students a chance to help those who are less fortunate. Over the past five years, each graduating class has averaged over 100 hours of service per student, which greatly exceeds the 70 hours required for graduation. Meanwhile, our championship-winning athletics and dynamic extracurricular activities allow for our students to foster an unparalleled brotherhood during their time at the Academy.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., designated Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991-2006) – an Italian teen who promoted Eucharistic miracles and apparitions of the Blessed Mother via websites he created – as patron of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Trenton.

“To always be close to Jesus: that is my life plan.” – Blessed Carlo Acutis

Consider visiting a parish hosting the Eucharistic Miracles exhibit by Blessed Carlo: dioceseoftrenton.org/eucharistic-miracles-exhibit October 2023

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October 2023

Experience How Saint Joe’s Empowers Students for Success at our Open House

Fall 2023 OPENHOUSE Meet the Administration, Faculty, & Coaches

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18th

6-8PM

Visit Our Campus on Sunday, October 15 from 11:30am - 2pm to: • Take a student guided tour • Meet faculty and coaches • Experience the Saint Joe’s Difference

AMBASSADOR TOURS WILL BEGIN AT 6:00PM

WWW.SRHSNJ.COM/OPENHOUSE

I S

Y O U R

D A U G H T E R

I S

Y O U R

D A U G H T E R

607 SEVENTH AVENUE

BELMAR, NJ 07719

A VILLA GIR L? A VILLA GIR L?

EWING

Visit stjoes.org/openhouse to learn more and pre-register for Open House.

OPEN HOUSE OPEN Wednesday, OctoberHOUSE 25, 2023 from 5-7 pm

Wednesday, October 25, 2023 from 5-7 pm 145 Plainfield Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840 admissions@stjoes.org (732) 549-7600 x221

Reserve your spot today! Pre-registration is required.

Registeryour nowspot at villavictoria.org/admissions Reserve today! Pre-registration is required.

Register nowMIDDLE at villavictoria.org/admissions SCHOOL | UPPER SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL | UPPER SCHOOL

October 2023

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THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 61

In the Parishes

To see expanded story and photo gallery, visit TrentonMonitor.com Bishop O’Connell congratulates Father McClane on his installation as pastor of Holy Eucharist Parish, Tabernacle.

On eve of 9/11, newly-installed pastor reminds people to love ‘in ordinary ways’

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

A

full congregation of parishioners and family members gathered Sept. 10 for a Mass at which Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., installed Father Michael T. McClane as the new pastor of Holy Eucharist Parish, Tabernacle.

“I have been so honored and humbled by your welcome to me over these last couple of months,” said Father McClane, who arrived at the southern Burlington County parish July 1, when Father Andrew J. Jamieson retired after serving

as pastor for more than 20 years. “I thank you for your spirit of openness and hospitality.”

‘LOVE ONE ANOTHER’ The Mass was celebrated the day before the world commemorated the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, so the Prayers of the Faithful included prayers for those who lost their lives and were injured, as well as for first responders.

Father McClane also spoke of the 9/11 events during his homily. Referring to a reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, he spoke of the call to love one

During the Mass, parish staff and finance council members, who were seated in the front pews, were officially introduced to Father McClane. Here the new pastor greets Regan Peiffer, parish music minister. Hal Brown photos

another and put others’ needs ahead of personal needs. He developed his point by giving historical examples of people showing their love for others, such as the firefighters charging into the burning World Trade Center; St. Maximilian Kolbe, who gave his life for another man in Auschwitz; and the members

 “We are capable of achieving great things.” of the Ulma family, beatified in Poland Sept. 10. The family was murdered by the Nazis in 1944 for sheltering a Jewish family for 18 months.

“They risked their lives for the sake of others,” Father McClane said of them all.

“They lived that heroic example of charity, of literally giving their lives for others.”

LOOK FOR GOD IN THE ORDINARY “Inspired by Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, we are capable of achieving great things,” Father McClane said. He said that while some people are called to perform heroic deeds, love for others is not usually lived out in the heroic acts of the martyr, of the firefighter.

“It is more often lived in small ways,” Continued on 65

62 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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October 2023

In the Parishes

Bishop joins Co-Cathedral community for feast day observance FROM STAFF REPORTS

W

hile St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral in Freehold is often the site of many diocesan events throughout the year, the celebration held there Sept. 17 was dedicated to the parish community and the feast day of their patronal saint and namesake.

Msgr. Sam Sirianni, Co-Cathedral rector and pastor, welcomed Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., who celebrated the noon Mass for the special occasion.

Some 500 parishioners came out on the beautiful late summer morning, many staying for a picnic that followed.

St. Robert Bellarmine, (1542-1621), was a Jesuit priest, an Italian cardinal and a theologian, and has been declared a Doctor of the Church and the patron of catechists. He was chosen as the patron of the Freehold parish by Bishop George W. Ahr at the time of its erection in 1971. The parish church was named a Co-Cathedral in 2017 when Bishop O’Connell requested the designation from the Holy See. Bishop O’Connell began the Mass noting that he often visits the Co-Cathedral for multiple other diocesan celebrations but that he was especially pleased

To view more photos, visit TrentonMonitor.com>Multimedia>Photo Galleries To mark the feast of St. Robert Bellarmine, Sept. 17, Bishop O’Connell joined the community of St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, for Mass and a picnic that followed in the parish hall. Here, Msgr. Sam Sirianni, Co-Cathedral rector, followed by Bishop O’Connell, participate in the entrance procession at the start of Mass. Hal Brown photos to be present for this occasion dedicated to the parish itself. (The Bishop also celebrates Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Trenton annually on its patronal feast, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Aug. 15.)

In his homily, Bishop O’Connell Bishop O’Connell and Father Jean Felicien, the Bishop’s secretary and master of ceremonies, chat with young parishioners from the Co-Cathedral.

reflected on the topic of forgiveness, the overarching theme of the Readings proclaimed at Mass.

“The funny thing about forgiveness is this: whether forgiveness makes sense and seems reasonable or, on the other hand, if forgiveness doesn’t make sense and seems unreasonable, forgiveness is God’s way with us and it’s what he asks to be our way with one another,” Bishop O’Connell said.

“Forgiveness does not excuse what others do wrong. Forgiveness prevents it from destroying your heart,” he said.

“Forgiveness does not change the past ... it changes the future. Jesus taught us that we are worthy of his forgiveness.”

Reflecting on the day, Msgr. Sirianni said what made it extra special was celebrating the parish Sept. 17 on what was the actual feast of St. Robert Bellarmine. To mark the feast day, holy cards of Continued on 65

October 2023

 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 63

In the Parishes

St. Jude Novena planned Oct. 20-28 in Trenton church

C

arrying on a tradition 84 years in the making, St. Michael Church – worship site of St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville – will host a Solemn Novena to St. Jude from Oct. 20 to 28.

All are invited to participate in the novena, led by Father Roy Ballacillo, parochial vicar in St. James Parish, Pennington, St. Alphonsus Parish, Hopewell, and St. George Parish, Titusville.

Each day will begin with 9 a.m. Mass in St. Michael Church, 1130 Brunswick Ave., Trenton, followed by praying of the St. Jude Novena. Each evening participants will reconvene in the church for prayer at 6 p.m., followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. On Sunday, Oct. 22, the novena Mass will be at 8:30 a.m., with no evening prayer scheduled. The Novena concludes on the Feast Day of St. Jude, Oct. 28. A Papal Blessing will be given after the morning Mass/Novena and again after

the evening Novena/Benediction.

“Over the years, this novena has become a powerful spiritual journey and a source for countless personal healings,” said Father Peter Bujdos, a weekend assistant who celebrates the 10 a.m. Mass in Slovak on Sunday morning. “It serves as a reminder that even in the darkest of times, faith can illuminate the path forward.”

The inspiration began with Father Ladislav Rakvica, then-pastor of St. Michael’s Church, whose life was touched by a divine miracle. Following his remarkable recovery, Father Rakvica was inspired to initiate the Solemn Novena to St. Jude on Oct. 20, 1939.

“Within these sacred walls, a profound devotion to St. Jude, the patron saint of hopeless causes, has flourished,” Father Bujdos said. “This enduring devotion began as a testament to faith and hope.”

Statue of St. Jude in St. Michael Church, Trenton. Courtesy photo

Hundreds view Blessed Carlo’s Marian exhibit in Barnegat parish The exhibit of apparitions of the Blessed Mother throughout the world drew the awe of more than 400 viewers Sept. 9-10 in St. Mary Parish, Barnegat.

In its first appearance in the United States, “The Appeals of Our Lady: Apparitions and Marian Shrines in the World” exhibit, designed by Blessed Carlo Acutis, was appreciated “well beyond anything we could have imagined,” said organizer Michelle Bockin.

Working with the parish evangelization

committee and Msgr. Kennard Tuzeneu, pastor, Bockin requested the digital exhibit artwork – in the custody of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Crosse, Wisc. – to be printed for St. Mary Parish via a generous parishioner’s donation.

“The people could not stop commenting on the beauty of everything before them, and how much information there was,” Bockin attested. “It was impossible for them to read everything in its entirety.”

“One of my favorite reactions of the

weekend came from a priest visiting from Nigeria,” Bockin recalled. “He slowly moved a little closer to one of the displays … and exclaimed: ‘This is Nigeria!’ … He was touched very deeply and personally.

Prior to leaving, he motioned to everything contained within the Apparition boards and said, ‘Everyone needs to see this. This is for the entire world. It must be known.”

Parishes interested in hosting the exhibit can call St. Mary Parish, 609-698-5531 for more information. TO READ MORE: visit TrentonMonitor.com > NEWS > PARISHES.

By EmmaLee Italia, Contributing Editor

Visitors read the detailed panels of “The Appeals of Our Lady: Apparitions and Marian Shrines in the World” in St. Mary Parish, Barnegat.

Courtesy photos

64 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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October 2023

CURSILLO MOVEMENT Continued from 28

of their roles, with the support of Christ and the diocesan Cursillo community.

JoAnne Henderson, parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Whiting, said she attended her Cursillo weekend in 2012 and earned her colorful vest as a team member in 2013. She said the Cursillo program “elevates my Christianity and faith. We can’t do this alone.

The Lord doesn’t mean for us to do this alone. We need Church. Before Cursillo, I was attending Mass weekly, but I wasn’t really leading a Christ-centered life. Now I am a daily communicant and look forward to receiving the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord.”

Former lay director Ronnie Martella summoned the words of songwriter Harry Chapin, “All my Life’s a Circle,” to reflect upon the cycles of life and her present family challenges of aging siblings. She spoke of her prayer to “let go of how I think things should be,” reminding all present, especially those in new leadership roles, that “the Holy Spirit is there to guide and gift you. God called you. God knows you and asks you to rely on your gifts and on Him.” The installation closed with the Spanish folk song and Cursillo anthem, “De Colores.” Its words evoke the intention of the Cursillo movement: “Let us live in grace since we can … let us bring to Christ a soul and a thousand more.”

PASTOR INSTALLED Continued from 62

such as how people carry out their ordinary responsibilities in their families or workplaces, in their prayer life and through their actions – being present or offering words of

encouragement to someone in need.

Father McClane said that since his arrival at Holy Eucharist Parish, he has observed that “love one another” is lived out “in a spirit of community and as a family.” He cited examples such as the parish’s large greeter ministry and the many programs geared for children and to accommodate the needs of families.

He also mentioned parish programs designed to reach inactive Catholics and others in the community “who are looking for a church and want to encounter God” as well as programs “to make their experience of Church attractive and inspiring.”

“Let us share God’s love with others in ordinary ways, building up their spirit, letting them know that God exists, he loves them and wants to be a part of their lives,” Father McClane said.

CO-CATHEDRAL PATRON FEAST DAY Continued from 63

St. Robert Bellarmine were distributed to the parishioners and a first-class relic of the saint who was canonized in 1930 by Pope Pius XI was present in the sanctuary.

SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Since Sept. 17 was also Catechetical Sunday throughout the Diocese and the nation, Bishop O’Connell took the occasion to express his gratitude to Mark Russoniello, director of religious education, and to all catechists who generously give their time to sharing the Word of God and the Catholic faith with the young.

“Your ministry is vital to the Church and its growth,” he reflected. After Communion, the Bishop commissioned and blessed the parish’s catechists present for Mass.

The Bishop also reminded parishioners that Sept. 18-24 is the

SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS Don’t miss The Monitor’s Sports coverage online:

By Rich Fisher • Contributing Editor

Talented SJV boys soccer team poised to make some noise

Holy Cross Preparatory Academy girls soccer team will get a lift this season from its Ava-powered offense, as junior Ava Mosteller (left) and Ava “Chicken” DeFulvio combined for 26 goals last year and have tallied a combined five goals in the Lancers first two games this year. Photo courtesy of HCPA

Catholic Church in the United States’ National Migration Week culminating in World Day of Migrants and Refugees. He stated, “This commemoration is not a politically based response to the current immigration crisis facing the U.S. It is a tradition of over 100 years’ duration, and the opportunity to pray for migrants and refugees displaced from their native countries.”

The month of September begins a notable series of national or world days of prayer for a variety of intentions, the Bishop observed. “Next weekend is also a celebration of ‘Priesthood Sunday,’ a day set aside on the national Church calendar to honor the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ in and through our parish priests. Pray for vocations!”

A PARISH CELEBRATION Following Mass, the Bishop, along with his priest secretary Father Jean Felicien and Msgr. Sirianni, joined more than 300 parishioners and their families for their annual feast day picnic in the parish center.

Of the picnic, Msgr. Sirianni said all enjoyed various dishes, some of which was donated by businesses that support the parish and cooked by the Knights of Columbus.

During the afternoon, Msgr.

Sirianni said the Bishop mingled October 2023



Youthful Holy Cross Prep girls soccer team has a successful history on its side

Wyatt Moore living up to the family name for Notre Dame’s football program

New story every Friday!

Go to TrentonMonitor.com and click on NEWS > SPORTS.

about and that many parishioners were happy to have their photo taken with him.

“The Mass was beautiful,” he said, noting that it’s a longstanding tradition for the parish picnic to be held on the Sunday closest to Sept.

17, St. Robert Bellarmine’s actual feast day.

“It was a very nice atmosphere,” Msgr. Sirianni said. “The people loved their time here and I think the Bishop had a nice time too.”

Many parishioners were happy to participate in the day’s Mass and special events.

“It was very festive,” said Gina Barnett.

“It’s always a special occasion to celebrate our parish feast day and it was even more so to have the Bishop here today,” Barnett said, noting that she was inspired by the Bishop’s homily.

“It was as if he was speaking to me face to face,“ instead of before an entire congregation, she said.

“Today was a great day, it was a day of community and celebration,” Barnett said.

Returning from the Freehold celebration, the Bishop and Father Felicien stopped at the picnic for Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish in Hamilton.

THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 65

Schools

 To view photo gallery, visit TrentonMonitor.com> Multimedia>Photo Galleries LEFT: The flag from Haiti is carried in the procession of flags at the start of Mass. Joining the students in the procession is Father Jean Felicien, the Bishop’s secretary and master of ceremonies, who is also a native of Haiti. • RIGHT: Bishop O’Connell blesses the Mater Admirabilis window which depicts the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is located in the front hall of the school. Hal Brown photos

Stuart celebrates start of 60th year with visit from Bishop O’Connell

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

H

“

ow did you become a Bishop?” “When you were a kid, did you want to become a Bishop?” “How busy are you every day?” “What is your favorite part of Mass?” “What do you pray for?”

These were questions Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., fielded from the fourth graders in Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, Princeton, when he visited their school Sept.

22. His visit coincided with the start of the school’s Homecoming Weekend Sept. 22-23 and the kickoff of its 60th anniversary year.

Bishop O’Connell chats with young students during his visit to Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, Princeton, on Sept. 22.

The Bishop’s packed schedule began with celebration of the Mass of the Holy Spirit for the students, faculty, staff, families and alumni.

“When a family chooses a school for their children, they consider a number of factors: academic excellence and reputation; location; affordability and value; proven track record of student success,” Bishop O’Connell said in his homily. “When a family chooses a Catholic school ... they consider all those factors plus one more: the opportunity for students to grow and deepen their personal and active faith in God,” he said. “That is the first and primary reason for Catholic education. That is the first and primary stated goal of Stuart. That is the reason you are here.”

Bishop O’Connell noted that ever since Stuart opened its doors as a Catholic high school 60 years ago, the community began its new academic year and Homecoming Weekend with the Mass of the Holy Spirit, saying, “As a Catholic school, there is no better way to begin than with this, our most important prayer.”

STEEPED IN TRADITION Before Mass, students and staff participated in a flag ceremony during which flags representing more than 50 countries were carried in procession and posted in stands near the altar in Cor Unum, the school theater.

Julia Breen Wall, Stuart’s head of school, told those in attendance the flag ceremony and the Mass of the Holy Spirit provide “a visible recognition and validation — at the start of the school year — of our five Sacred Heart goals that call us to love as God loves, study and learn, help those in need, be a friend to all and make wise choices.”

Breen Wall said the flag ceremony is a 25-year tradition and a tribute “to the beautiful cultural diversity of the Stuart community.”

“We know that in order to live our best, we need each other ... to inspire, challenge and instruct us in what it means to live our best,” Continued on 71

66 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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October 2023

Schools

EWING’S VVA TO CELEBRATE 90 YEARS All are invited to Villa Victoria Academy, Ewing, as the school marks its 90th anniversary Oct. 21. The preparatory academy will commemorate its milestone with a 12 p.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., held in the school’s theater at 376 West Upper Ferry Rd. Today VVA educates girls in grades six through 12; students hail from Burlington, Middlesex and Mercer Counties, and Bucks County, Pa. Founded in 1933, the academy is a Catholic, private, independent, college-preparatory school owned and operated by the Religious Teachers Filippini. St. Lucy Filippini founded this religious order of Sisters in Montefiascone, Italy, at the end of the 17th century. Since that time, the Filippini Sisters have eagerly followed St. Lucy’s instructions to “Go and Teach.”

CBA CELEBRATES NEW FACILITIES WITH ‘DEDICATION DAY’

Students had a chance to engage in small group discussions during the Catholic Athletes for Christ gathering. John Batkowski photo

SOCIAL MEDIA SAFETY

be more like Blessed Carlo Acutis, who has the potential to be the first saint with an email address.

“As an athlete, you are influencing everyone in your school,” he said. “Are you encouraging?

Remember the four Fs when you post on social media: faith, your family, friends and your future.”

Students and coaches in the Catholic Athletes for Christ professed their appreciation for the program as well as Sanfrancesco’s advice.

Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, senior A.J. Surace, a member of the football team, said his time in the CAC program helped him be involved with athletes in similar situations. “It was good to learn about what is right and what is negative on social media,” he said.

“Technology is usually brought up in a negative way, but [the speaker] emphasized what a positive effect it can have,” said Susanna Sloh, a Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy senior who plays tennis and cheerleads. “Just keep God close to you throughout all you do, even your social media presence.”

Continued from 50

Father Garry Koch, pastor of St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, joined the Christian Brothers Academy community Sept. 16 during which he blessed the new dining hall. Courtesy photo

N

early 70 years of hard work was commemorated by the community of Christian Brothers Academy on Sept. 16.

The Lincroft school’s ‘Dedication Day’ celebrated final projects completed as part of the Forever CBA capital campaign.

In total, Forever CBA built or renovated eight different sites on the academy’s 157-acre campus. Most notably, Dedication Day was the much-awaited official opening of the Brother Frank Byrne Dining Hall and Dolly Gartland Sullivan Kitchen.

Named in honor of two individuals who always put CBA students first, the Byrne Dining Hall and Dolly’s Kitchen will enhance the student experience in many ways. The Byrne Dining Hall is nearly 40 percent larger than the previous cafeteria space, allowing for more students to eat lunch at the same time. This, in turn, will allow CBA to expand its academic and co-curricular offerings to all grade levels during the school day.

Byrne Dining Hall will also double as a campus hub for specials events, meetings and more. The space features two large televisions, a 100-inch projection screen, a full audio and PA system, and dynamic lighting.

Meanwhile, Dolly’s Kitchen is an advanced food preparation space, which will give academy men a variety of healthy, diverse options to meet their dietary needs.

teens seated before him, the speaker admitted to scouting their social media accounts; even without having their names, he was able to see some profiles based on them tagging their team or high school.

“It was easy for me to find some of you; you look familiar to me,” Sanfrancesco said, eliciting a few nervous looks from the teens to their friends and teammates. Most of their accounts were fine, he said, but others held some troublesome content.

“You are held to a different standard because you are in a Catholic school,” he continued. Referring to the objectionable posts, Sanfrancesco warned, “If I read it, someone else could. Who in your future could find it?”

He encouraged the teens to remove phone apps that seemed to be the greatest temptation for posting negative content, and each month to strive to spend just 1% less time immersed in social media.

He also encouraged them to October 2023

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THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 67

In Memoriam SISTER RITA DOLORES WOEHLCKE, WAS SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR, FORMATION LEADER Funeral services were held Sept. 30 in St. Joseph Villa, Flourtown, Pa., for Sister of St. Joseph.

Rita Dolores Woehlcke who died Sept. 23. She was 77.

Daughter of the late George H. and Helen McNichol Woehlcke, Sister Rita Dolores, the former Sister George Ellen, was a native of Philadelphia. She attended the city’s St. Ambrose Grade School and Cardinal Dougherty High School.

In September 1964, she entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill and pro-

fessed final vows in 1972. She held master’s degrees in literature and pastoral counseling and a certificate in spiritual direction from Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut, Sister Rita Dolores ministered in the Archdioceses of Baltimore and Philadelphia and in the Dioceses of Harrisburg, Metuchen, Camden and Trenton.

In the Trenton Diocese, Sister Rita Dolores was active with the former Institute for Lay Ecclesial Formation in which she was responsible for the human formation workshops

for ILEM candidates as well as other persons serving in ministry in the Diocese. She also spent a number of years serving in St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville.

In addition to her parents, Sister Rita Dolores was predeceased by her brother, George. She is survived by her brother Leo (Susan) and a sister, Anne, as well as nieces, nephews and members of her community.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to St. Joseph Villa, 110 W. Wissahickon Ave., Flourtown, PA 19031.

OBITUARY INFORMATION  Additional obituaries will be posted to TrentonMonitor.com>News> Obituaries as information becomes available.

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THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 69

Fun & Games

SCRIPTURE SEARCH Gospel for October 8, 2023  Matthew 21:33-43

LANDOWNER

PLANTED

WINEPRESS

BUILT

A TOWER

LEASED

TENANTS

SEIZED

BEAT

STONED

TREATED

RESPECT

THE HEIR

KILL HIM

DEATH

READ

STONE

REJECTED

OWN EYES

KINGDOM

TAKEN

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Following is a word search based on the Gospel reading for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A: The vineyard owner and his son. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle.

TEST YOUR CATHOLIC KNOWLEDGE Answers on back cover.

ACROSS 1 Papal emissary 6 Francis’ hometown 1

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10 Catholic singer, Bing ___ 11 Saint of Loyola 12 Catholic ___ 4

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16 Wealthy biblical land 18 Magdalene and the sister of Martha 20 Book after Chronicles 21 Biblical name for Syria 22 It is immortal 23 “Behold the ___ of God” (Jn 1:36) 24 Blessing before meals 26 Spiritual program 28 Kind of Carmelite 32 St. Peter’s, for one 33 Ten Hail Marys 35 Luke’s symbol is this kind of ox 36 Prayer beads DOWN 2 “…thy will be done on ___” 3 Samson used this animal’s jawbone to fight the Philistines 4 Joseph was sold into slavery here 5 One of the seven deadly sins

7 Liturgical ___ 8 Notre Dame nickname, “The Fighting ___” 9 Catholic letters 13 “…a chosen race, a ___ priesthood” (1 Pet 2:9) 14 Land of St. Patrick 15 Learned literary men of the New Testament 17 Brother of Ishmael 19 Make up for sin 21 Possible Easter month 25 Apostle number 27 Jewish month of Passover 29 Where Vatican City is 30 Temple tree 31 Where King Saul consulted a witch 32 According to Paul, at the name of Jesus every knee should do this 34 Catholic international aid org.

WTW – Trusted Insurance Broker Serving the Diocese of Trenton  We would like to thank WILLIS TOWERS WATSON for their sponsorship of this page.

70 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE

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October 2023

Breen Wall said. “And we know that we need the grace of God and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us live as servants of love, prophets of hope and people of faith. We begin our year promising to follow where the Holy Spirit leads us and to ask the Spirit to make us grateful in times of joy and strong in difficult moments.”

HONORING OUR LADY After Mass, everyone gathered in the front hall to witness Bishop O’Connell blessing the Mater Admirabilis window, which depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Under her title as Mater Admirabilis, Mary is considered the patroness of Sacred Heart schools throughout the world, said Hilary Morris, Stuart’s director of marketing and communications. In all, there are about 25 Sacred Heart schools across North America, two of which are in the Trenton Diocese – Stuart and Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart. There are 160 schools internationally.

“Every Sacred Heart school in the world has a painting in their school; we are the only one that has her depicted on glass,” Morris said.

D I R E C T O R Y

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BUSINESS

BISHOP STUART ACADEMY VISIT

saying how heartening it was to hear him speak about the importance of having confidence.

“He said that we should have confidence in our faith” as well as about the goals and criteria of the Sacred Heart “which is a very big part of the tradition in a Sacred Heart School. It was also pretty cool that Bishop used our school slogan, ‘Nothing Stops a Stuart Girl!’” said Torney.

The Bishop also ate lunch with the fourth graders and answered their questions. His responses included that he did not ask to be a Bishop but was appointed by the Pope [Benedict XVI]. While growing up, he considered being a lawyer, a funeral director and a priest.

“I became two out of three” – a priest and a [canon] lawyer. He told the students that except for Wednesdays, his day off, he is busy going all over the Diocese to visit parishes and schools.

He also told them that while he loves everything about the Mass, his favorite part is Communion, “because that’s when we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus.” Lastly, he said he prays “every day for everyone in the Diocese of Trenton and anyone who asks for my prayers.”

CLASSIFIED EMPLOYMENT

GETTING TO KNOW YOU Bishop O’Connell rounded out his visit to Stuart by taking a tour of the school.

“Today is my first time seeing the Bishop,” said junior Alexandra Durish, who led the tour.

“I’m excited to meet him. It’s an honor.”

Eighth grader Campbell Torney, an altar server for the Mass, reflected on the Bishop’s homily,

APOSTOLATE

ST. LUKE’S • TOM’S RIVER

SEEKING PART TIME SECRETARY Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9am - 2pm. Responsibilities include: answering phones, parish bulletin, filing. Other responsiblites to be discussed.

For more information go to: stlukestomesriver.org

THE DIOCESE OF TRENTON is committed to the initiatives outlined in the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and to its own policies and guidelines in regard to the reporting and investigation of sexual abuse allegations involving minors.

If you have been sexually abused as a minor by a member of the clergy or anyone representing the Catholic Church, or if you know of someone who was, you can report that abuse through the diocesan

ABUSE HOTLINE: 1-888-296-2965 or via e-mail at abuseline@dioceseoftrenton.org.

The Diocese of Trenton reports any allegations of sexual abuse to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Anyone with an allegation is also encouraged to provide that information to local law enforcement authorities.

RELIGIOUS MERCHANDISE Bibles, Rosaries, See our Patron Saint many First Medals, Statues, Communion Crosses & gifts!

Crucifixes, ALSO Jewelry, Candles, Irish Gifts & ReligiousItems Items Jewelry, Irish Gifts & Religious Candles, Irish Irish Gifts 1669 Highway 33, Hamilton Square 1669 Highway 33, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690 Gifts, Gifts Gifts for Baptism, 609-586-9696 • www.crossandshamrock.com 609-586-9696 for Baptism, Communion, ‘Like us’ on Facebook Confirmation, www.crossandshamrock.com Confirmation, Weddings Mon-Wed. 10-6pm, Thurs. & Fri. 10-7pm, 10-5pm & &Weddings M-W: 10am-6pm • Th-F: 10am-7pm • SatSat. : 10am-5pm

RESTAUR ANT • DINING

Leonardo’s Restaurant family owned and operated Robert Pluta HSG 2012 Brunswick Ave. (Business Rte. 1 South) Lawrenceville • 609.396.4466

Everybody Loves Magda!

To place an ad here, call 609-403-7153 OR email monitor-advertising@DioceseofTrenton.org October 2023

 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 71

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THE

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Serving the Catholic Community in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

Answers to the crossword puzzle.

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SUBSCRIBE TODAY:  At dioceseoftrenton.org/monitor-subscriptions  By email: Monitor-Subscriptions@DioceseofTrenton.org  By phone: 609-403-7131

www.wordgamesforcatholics.com

L E G A T E P A S S I S I A S G R E R H C R O S B Y I G N A T I U S T P D S S C H A R I T I E S O P H I R O R C N S M A R Y S E Z R A A R A M T A L I P A S O U L L A M B G R A C E N T N E I R E N E W D I S C A L C E D I E T E N B A S I L I C A D E C A D E O A V L A R O W I N G E D Y R O S A R Y

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October 2023