Monitor Mag NOV 2025

MILESTONES in EDUCATION

 Pope Leo’s new apostolic letter: ‘Drawing New Maps of Hope’

 60 years since the Church’s Declaration on Christian Education

 The Diocese’s annual celebration of Catholic schools

ALSO . . .

IN FOCUS: Church’s mandate to care for the poor

SPECIAL COVERAGE of the 2025 Bishop’s Anniversary Blessings

• Pastoral Life & Mission

Campus Ministry, Catechesis, Evangelization & Family Life, Grief & Bereavement, Jail & Prison Ministry, Marriage Ministry, Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, Youth & Young Adult Ministry

• Clergy & Consecrated Life

Diaconate Formation, Priestly Formation, Retired Clergy, Villa St. Denis, Villa Vianney, Vocations

• Catholic Education Curriculum Guidance & Standards, Professional Development, Marketing Support & Consultation

• Catholic Social Services

Catholic Charities Trenton, Holy Innocents Society, Mount Carmel Guild, Parish Counseling Services, Seeds of Service

• Communications

Diocesan website, Multimedia Production, Social Media, The Monitor Magazine

Building Strong Marriages, Strengthening

Our Church

Marriage is a vocation and a sacrament that brings Christ into the world. In the Diocese of Trenton, we walk with couples from PreCana through every stage of married life. Parish ministries, and diocesan training opportunities provide encouragement, skills, and hope to help marriages grow strong in faith.

Throughout the year, couples are invited to workshops, and enrichment programs designed to strengthen relationships and celebrate the joy of Catholic marriage. Each October, Bishop O’Connell gathers couples for the Anniversary Blessing, honoring milestone years of marriage and the vocation at the heart of family life.

A gift to the Annual Catholic Appeal makes this possible–strengthening marriages, families, and our Church.

Ways to Give

Mail: Send check or money order payable to: Annual Catholic Appeal, Diocese of Trenton PO Box 70170, Newark, NJ 07101

Online: Scan the QR code or visit giveaca.org to make a gift using credit cards, bank draft, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Venmo!

Call : 609-403-7197

Email: develop@dioceseoftrenton.org

Additional Gift Options: Gifts of Stock, IRA Distributions, Bequests, Charitable Annuities, and Cryptocurrency can be coordinated by contacting the Department of Development at 609-403-7197 or develop@dioceseoftrenton.org

ON THE COVER

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., poses for a lighthearted photo with students from St. Mary Academy, Manahawkin, after the Oct. 16 Catholic Schools Mass. Coverage begins on page 36. John Batkowski photo

THE

MONITOR

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.

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EDITORIAL

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THE MONITOR MAGAZINE (ISSN#0746-8350) is published 14 times a year by THE MONITOR, 701 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 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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A first year anniversary couple renews their vows during the Bishop’s Anniversary Blessing Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. See special section. Mike Ehrmann photo

7-9  From the Bishop

Bishop O’Connell on the Holy Father’s letter on Catholic education; Scrapbook photos shared

35-43 

Seasons & Celebrations

Newly lit torches commence Diocese journey; missionary image of Mary visits parishes

50-52 

Clergy

Deacons rejuvenated during annual convocation; Father Colavito visits schools during Vocations Awareness Week

48 

Viewpoints

OSV columnist Greg Erlandson offers the Catholic perspective on learning about history

67-70 

Local

Manalapan family meets Pope Leo, Marian servants mark decade of service, Interfaith Caregivers honor parish and Diocesan agency

71-73 

Parish

Toms River parish to honor Our Lady of Kibeho, Hamilton mission calls faithful to reflection, Lakewood fire update

74-77 

Schools

Diocesan PTA marks centennial year; Catholic Athletes for Christ receive encouragement for new school year

REGULAR FEATURES

62-63  Insight from Father Koch, Mary Morrell

Question Corner

publication of The Diocese of Trenton

Misa con antorchas, danzas y música reflejan la devoción a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

POR ANGÉLICA CHICAIZA  corresponsal

Las antorchas han comenzado su recorrido por la diócesis. El 25 de octubre, en la Catedral de Santa María de la Asunción, en Trenton, la gente se reunió para dar inicio al recorrido de las antorchas itinerantes de 2025, en celebración de la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, el 12 de diciembre. Las 23 antorchas –con nombres representativos como Antorcha de la Aparición y Antorcha Tilma– se exhibirán en parroquias dentro y fuera de la diócesis durante todo el mes de noviembre.

La celebración del encendido de antorchas incluyó una misa seguida de una alegre reunión con bailes, música y comida. Durante la misa, el coro estuvo acompañado por un grupo de mariachis dirigido por Yesenia Serrano Camargo, cantante y bailarina de la parroquia de San José en Toms River. Su presentación reflejó las profundas raíces de la cultura mexicana y la devoción a la fe católica y a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

Serrano Camargo interpretó la canción

Las 23 antorchas — con nombres representativos como la Antorcha de la Aparición y la Antorcha de la Tilma — estarán expuestas en parroquias dentro y fuera de la Diócesis durante todo el mes de noviembre. Fotos de Mike Ehrmann

“Xochipitzahuatl” en lengua náhuatl. El título se traduce como “Florecita”, y parte de la letra dice: “Vamos, compañeros, a caminar hacia María; rodeemos a la Virgen, María de Guadalupe”.

El náhuatl es “una lengua nativa de Puebla, hablada por los pueblos indígenas de la región”, explicó Serrano Camargo. “Yo no lo hablo, pero puedo cantarlo. Lo aprendí viendo videos e hice mi mejor esfuerzo para imitar los sonidos de la lengua”

Monseñor Joseph Roldán, rector de la catedral, y el padre Marco Antonio Padilla Aguilar, quien visitó la diócesis desde Tlaxcala, México, concelebraron la Misa. Los dos sacerdotes, junto con personal diocesano, presentaron las 23 antorchas para dar inicio a la celebración. Una tradición que crece

En su homilía, Monseñor Roldán enfatizó que el encendido de las

antorchas simboliza que “Cristo es la Luz” y que estamos “llamados a ser luz en el mundo y para los demás”.

“Hoy honramos a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe por su gran papel”, dijo Monseñor Roldán. “Cuando nos unimos a la Madre de Cristo, ella se convierte en nuestra madre, la Madre de Dios y nuestra madre”.

El tema de este año, Mujer de Esperanza, conmemora el décimo aniversario de esta iniciativa diocesana.

“Cuando comenzamos con las Antorchas de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, solo teníamos cuatro antorchas”, dijo Jossie Ramos, coordinadora de Iniciativas Hispanas de la Diócesis. “El segundo año, teníamos siete. Diez años después, ¡cuántas cosas han cambiado!”.

Lea la historia completa en TrentonMonitor.com>peces

ALÍSTESE PARA EL 2025/26 AHORA Nos encargamos de:

Preparar el cortacésped para el tiempo invernal

Vaciar el tanque

Cambiar el aceite y las bujías

Reemplazar filtros de aire

Afilar los filos

NUESTROS TRES ESTABLECIMIENTOS SE ENCUENTRAN EN

Joseph Steinert & Company 26 Old Olden Ave. Hamilton, NJ 08610

Lakehurst Lawn Mower 10 Union Ave. Lakehurst, NJ 08733 732-657-2401

Mons. Roldán enciende la Antorcha del Milagro durante la Misa del 25 de octubre en la Catedral de Santa María de la Asunción, Trenton.

Noviembre: Un tiempo sagrado

DPor OBISPO DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

urante todo el mes de noviembre, la Iglesia ofrece oraciones por los fieles difuntos, aquellos que nos precedieron, marcados con el signo de la fe, y ahora descansan en la paz de Dios. Este “signo de fe”, recibido en el Bautismo, es una marca indeleble de pertenencia a Cristo. Como dijo Santa Teresa de Calcuta: “Durante todo este mes les brindamos un amor y cuidado especiales rezando por ellos y por ellos”.

Nuestro Santo Padre, el Papa León XIV, comentó recientemente: “Todo esto comienza con nuestro bautismo y nunca terminará. El bautismo nos introduce en la comunión con Cristo y nos da la vida verdadera... ¡La muerte nunca tiene la última palabra! La última palabra, que abre las puertas a la eternidad y a la alegría eterna, es la resurrección, que no conoce el desánimo y nos libera del dolor de buscar el sentido de nuestra existencia”.

Esta tradición de oración por los difuntos se remonta a los primeros siglos de la Iglesia y aún más profundamente en las páginas sagradas de las Escrituras. El Libro de los Macabeos afirma: “Es un pensamiento santo y saludable orar por los muertos, para que sean liberados de

sus pecados” (2 Macabeos 12:46). En este acto de oración, participamos en un misterio de misericordia y comunión que trasciende el tiempo.

La Iglesia enseña que todos los bautizados están unidos por un triple vínculo:

La Iglesia Triunfante: los santos en el cielo, que se alegran en la gloria eterna.

La Iglesia Penitente: las almas del purgatorio, que se purifican en el amor.

La Iglesia Militante: nosotros, que caminamos en la tierra, luchando por la santidad.

El Catecismo nos recuerda que, en el momento de la muerte, cada alma

Feligreses de la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Lakewood, se reúnen para una foto vestidos como santos. Foto de Facebook

se encuentra con Cristo en un juicio particular. Quienes mueren en su gracia, aunque aún no estén completamente purificados, tienen asegurada la salvación y experimentan una purificación final: lo que llamamos purgatorio. Nuestras oraciones, sacrificios y actos de amor ofrecidos por estas almas son un don profundo. Como dijo bellamente el Papa San Juan Pablo II: “Orar por las almas del purgatorio es la “el acto más alto de caridad sobrenatural.”

Celebrar la Fiesta de Todos los Santos es regocijarse en la comunión de los santos, una relación viva con quienes ahora contemplan el rostro de Dios. Rezar en la Fiesta de los Fieles Difuntos por las almas del purgatorio es expresarles nuestro amor y solidaridad eternos, arraigados en la gracia del Bautismo. Aunque noviembre está especialmente dedicado a estas oraciones, nuestro amor por los difuntos no se limita a una sola estación. Es, como dice la Escritura, “un pensamiento santo y sano”, una responsabilidad sagrada y un tierno acto de fe.

Lea la historia completa en TrentonMonitor.com>peces

From the Vatican to the Diocese, new texts bring clarity and connection

IA message from

RAYANNE BENNETT Associate Publisher

f ever there was a time to thoroughly read an issue of The Monitor Magazine and to keep it on hand for future reference, this is that time.

Following what can only be described as an extraordinary flurry of landmark documents released by the Vatican in the period of only a few weeks, the Church is doing its best to inform the faithful and to help them fully understand the meaning of these new texts.

True to his unwavering commitment to be a teacher to his flock, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has written a response to each of the new texts, giving us a recap of the most important elements and his analysis of their import.

Coverage of these texts includes:

Pope Leo’s Apostolic Letter: “Disegnare Nuove Mappe Di Speranza” (“Drawing New Maps of Hope”) – begins on page 10.

Retrospective on the 1965 conciliar text: “Gravissimum Educationis” (“Declaration on Christian Education”) – begins on page 13.

Pope Leo’s first Apostolic Exhortation: “Dilexi Te” (“I Have Loved You”)

COMING IN DECEMBER

– The Church’s call to care for the poor – begins on page 16.

Doctrinal Note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith: “Mater Populi Fidelis” (“Mother of the Faithful People of God”) – begins on page 24.

Individually, these texts offer clarity and guidance for us on each of the specific topics related to the tenets of our faith. But taken together, they illuminate the undeniable connection that each of us, sitting here in the Diocese of Trenton, has with Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican and the mission of the universal Church. These are matters of gravitas, foundational to who we are as a people of faith and formational to what we believe.

We recognize that these texts are available online, but to have them curated in one publication, informed by our

 IN FOCUS – highlighting the moral use of AI, with guidance from Pope Leo XIV, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and more

 THE GREATEST GIFTS – Stories of extraordinary gifts, both given and received, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.

 ORDINATION COVERAGE – As the Diocese welcomes its new class of deacons

 SPECIAL SURVEY – The Monitor wants your vote on our best front page in 2025. Watch for this presentation and instructions on casting your ballot

This statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is found on the grounds of St. Mary of the Lake Church, Lakewood. The Blessed Mother was the subject of a new doctrinal note from the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, that focuses on her role in the mystery of salvation. The doctrine cautions on her debated title as “CoRedemptrix. File photo

Bishop’s analysis and feedback makes this issue of your diocesan magazine unique and worth holding on to. We do hope you will take the time to avail yourselves of its value.

While you are studying the aforementioned content, please do not miss the opportunity to share in the celebration of this year’s participants in the Bishop’s Anniversary Blessings. Our SPECIAL TRIBUTE to the couples begins on page 27.

And finally, while it is impossible to list here all of the many local coverage pieces included in this magazine, I must note the level of representation in this and many of our issues. In these pages you will find dozens of stories about our parishes, schools and agencies – covering all four counties of the Diocese. They are stories about people of all ages, from all walks of life; engaged in the work of the Church through a wide network of services, ministries and initiatives. They are stories about one family of faith, walking together to serve Christ. And you are invited to link in by learning more and, in some cases, supporting these efforts.

We are privileged and honored to walk with you. On behalf of the wonderful team here at The Monitor, I wish you and yours a festive and fruitful Thanksgiving and a holy beginning of the Advent season.

Thoughts on Pope Leo’s

letter

mission of Catholic education

AA Message from BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

s Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton and a lifelong Catholic educator, I write with deep gratitude and renewed hope following the release of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic letter, “Drawing New Maps of Hope.” Issued on October 28, 2025, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Christian Education (Gravissimum educationis), this letter is a profound and timely reflection on the mission of Catholic education in our rapidly changing world.

Pope Leo XIV’s message is clear: Catholic schools are not static institutions but dynamic communities of formation, communion, and hope. They are called to be rooted in tradition, responsive to the present, and visionary about the future. In a world overwhelmed by fragmented information and digital overload, the Holy Father urges educators to restore a “unified gaze”— one that integrates faith, spirituality, and intellec-

Students from St. Joseph School, Toms River take part in classroom activities during a recent school day. “I write with deep gratitude and renewed hope following the release of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic letter, ‘Drawing New Maps of Hope,’” the Bishop noted.

on the

tual inquiry. He writes, “Today we have become experts in the smallest details of reality, but we have lost the capacity of seeing the big picture again.”

This critique of modern education’s hyper-specialization is paired with a call to reawaken students’ hunger for truth, meaning, and hope. Education, Pope Leo insists, is not a side ministry – it is “the very fabric of evangelization.” Catholic schools must be places where knowledge is not only transmitted but transformed by love, conscience and community.

 Education ... is the very fabric of evangelization.

In a historic move, Pope Leo names St. John Henry Newman as co-patron of Catholic education alongside St. Thomas Aquinas and announces his declaration as the 38th Doctor of the Church. Newman’s legacy – his emphasis on conscience, liberal education and the harmony of faith and reason – deeply informs the letter’s vision.

The release of “Drawing New Maps of Hope” also marks the beginning of the Jubilee of the World of Education, a weeklong celebration involving over 20,000 students, educators and clergy. It is a moment of reflection, recommitment and renewal and a chance to chart new paths of hope for generations to come.

Here in the Diocese of Trenton, we are blessed with vibrant Catholic schools that embody the spirit of this letter. I invite all educators, administrators, parents and students to reflect on the eight themes Pope Leo offers as guiding lights for our journey:

1. Be a constellation of hope • Catholic schools are like stars in a constellation–each with its own light, yet united in mission. Together, they chart a course through turbulent times.

2. Form the whole person • Catholic education must develop the entire human being–mind, body, spirit, emotions, and relationships. Our schools are gardens for saints, not factories for workers.

3. Create living environments of Christian vision • Every subject – from math to literature – should be taught in light of truth, beauty and goodness.

Facebook photo

Bishop’s reflection on Catholic education

Schools must be places where the Christian vision permeates every discipline and interaction.

4. Support families, not replace them • Parents are the primary educators of their children. Catholic schools must walk alongside families, respecting and supporting their sacred role.

5. Practice subsidiarity and influence society • Decisions should be made by those closest to the school community. At the same time, schools must engage the wider world with courage and creativity.

6. Promote ecological and social justice • Catholic education must form students who care for creation, live ethically, and choose what is right over what is merely convenient.

7. Navigate the digital revolution

wisely • Schools must guide students to use digital tools ethically and responsibly, avoiding technophobia while upholding human dignity.

8. Embrace the Global Compact on Education • Building on Pope Francis’s initiative, Pope Leo adds three priorities:

• Cultivate students’ inner lives

• Equip them to use AI wisely

• Promote peace through education

Let us take this opportunity to renew our shared mission in Catholic education – to form young people who are not only academically prepared but spiritually grounded, morally courageous and joyfully committed to the Gospel.

May our Catholic schools in the Diocese of Trenton continue to draw new maps of hope, illuminating the path for generations to come.

MORE FROM THE BISHOP

Bishop O’Connell has posted a number of recent essays and reflections that we were not able to include in this issue. You can find them at trentonmonitor.com/news/bishops-corner/

They include:

 Honoring our nation’s veterans

 ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch’ (A message for National Vocations Awareness Week)

 November: A sacred season of hope, communion and prayer (A message for All Saints, All Souls and the Month of Remembrance)

 The Church is unequivocally opposed to assisted suicide, euthanasia

Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M., Bishop of Trenton

Here are a few highlights from Bishop O’Connell’s recent visits and events.

Bishop O’Connell and Deacon Jim

Mount

of

enjoy conversation during the Convocation for Permanent Deacons held Oct. 18-19 in Princeton. Joe Moore photo

Bishop O’Connell flashes a smile while engaging in conversation with attendees during the Regional Altar-Rosary Society Mass Oct. 25 in St. Ann Church, Browns Mills. Mike Ehrmann photo

Before the Oct. 16 Catholic Schools Mass, Bishop O’Connell

members

the

Casa

Sacred Heart Parish,

Holly,

Jessica Donohue, parish catechetical leader in St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton, greets Bishop O’Connell during the Mount Carmel Guild Gala Oct. 24. Pictured center is Terry Ginther, diocesan chancellor and executive director of Pastoral Life and Mission. Mary Stadnyk photo

chats with

of

handbell choir from St. Catharine School, Spring Lake. Rose O’Connor photo

Pope Leo XIV smiles as he holds up his apostolic letter, “Drawing New Maps of Hope,” marking the 60th anniversary of the Vatican II declaration on Catholic education, which will be celebrated Oct. 28, as Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. CNS photo/

Changing world calls for new commitment to Catholic schools, Pope says

BY CINDY WOODEN  Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY • Catholic education, which has changed over the centuries, must continue to evolve to help young people face the challenges not only of technology but of confusion about the meaning and purpose of life, Pope Leo XIV said.

“I call upon all educational institutions to inaugurate a new season that speaks to the hearts of the younger generations, reuniting knowledge and meaning, competence and responsibility, faith and life,” he wrote in an apostolic letter.

Titled “Disegnare Nuove Mappe Di Speranza” (“Drawing New Maps of Hope”), the letter was issued only in Italian Oct. 28. It marked the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Catholic Education.

In the letter, Pope Leo formally declared St. John Henry Newman “patron of the Church’s educational mission alongside St. Thomas Aquinas.”

The Pope was scheduled to formally proclaim St. Newman a “doctor of the Church” Nov. 1 in recognition of his contribution to “the renewal of theology and to the understanding of the development of Christian doctrine.” He was born in London Feb.

21, 1801, was ordained an Anglican priest, became Catholic in 1845, was made a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII and died in 1890.

Even in the face of the digital revolution and the advent of artificial intelligence, Pope Leo said, Catholic schools and universities show “a surprising resilience.”

When they are “guided by the word of Christ, they do not retreat but press forward; they do not raise walls but build bridges. They respond creatively, opening new possibilities for the transmission of knowledge and meaning,” he wrote.

Pope Leo asked Catholic educators and educational institutions to focus on “three priorities”:

– “The first regards the interior life: Young people seek depth; they need spaces of silence, discernment and dialogue with their consciences and with God.

– “The second concerns a humane digital culture: We must educate in the wise use of technology and AI, placing the person before the algorithm, and harmonizing technical, emotional, social, spiritual and ecological forms of intelligence.

– “The third concerns peace – unarmed and disarming: Let us educate in nonviolent language, reconciliation and

bridge-building rather than wall-building; may ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ – (Mt 5:9) – become both the method and the content of learning.”

At the same time, the Pope said, it is obvious that Catholic schools cannot ignore technology or avoid it, but they must be discerning about digital platforms, data protection and fair access for all students.

“In any case,” he said, “no algorithm can replace what makes education truly human: poetry, irony, love, art, imagination, the joy of discovery” and even learning from mistakes “as an opportunity for growth.”

In the letter, the Pope briefly traced the history of Catholic education from the “desert fathers” teaching with parables, to the monastic study and preservation of classic texts and scholasticism’s highly structured and interdisciplinary curriculum.

 “To educate is an act of hope.”

But he also noted the huge array of Catholic saints throughout the ages who insisted that learning to read and write and add and subtract were matters of human dignity and so dedicated their lives and their religious orders to educating women and girls, the poor, migrants and refugees and others on the margins of society.

“Wherever access to education remains a privilege,” Pope Leo wrote, “the Church must push open doors and invent new pathways because to ‘lose the poor’ is to lose the very meaning of the school.”

“To educate is an act of hope,” he said.

Catholic schools and universities, the Pope wrote, must be “places where questions are not silenced and doubt is not banned but accompanied. The ‘heart speaks to heart,’” he said, quoting St. Newman’s motto as a cardinal.

Parents, as the Second Vatican Council affirmed, are the first and primary educators of their children, the Pope said, but “Christian education is a choral work: no one educates alone.”

Those who teach in a Catholic institution, he said, “are called to a responsibility that goes beyond the employment contract: their witness is worth as much as their lesson.”

And while the human person is at the center of all educational initiatives, the goal is to help that person learn to see beyond him- or herself and “discover the meaning of life, inalienable dignity and responsibility toward others,” he wrote.

“Education is not merely the transmission of content but an apprenticeship in virtue,” Pope Leo said. “It forms citizens capable of serving and believers capable of bearing witness – men and women who are freer, not more isolated.”

The Pope also called on Catholic schools and universities to be models of social and “environmental justice,” promoting simplicity and sustainable lifestyles and helping students recognize their responsibility for caring for the earth.

“Every small gesture – avoiding waste, making responsible choices, defending the common good – is an act of cultural and moral literacy,” he wrote.

during the Mass in which Pope Leo XIV declared the 19th-century English cardinal and theologian a doctor of the Church. CNS photo/Lola Gomez

At education Jubilee, Pope names St. John Henry Newman ‘doctor of the Church’

BY CINDY WOODEN  Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY • The lives of St. John Henry Newman and of all the saints teach Christians that “it is possible to live passionately amidst the complexity of the present without neglecting the apostolic mandate to ‘shine like stars in the world,’” Pope Leo XIV said.

Celebrating Mass Nov. 1, the feast of All Saints, Pope Leo concluded the Jubilee of the World of Education and proclaimed St. Newman the 38th doctor of the Church, including him among the men and women of the Christian East and West who have made decisive contributions to theology and spirituality. Earlier in the week, Pope Leo had officially recognized St. Newman as co-patron of education along with St. Thomas Aquinas.

St. Newman was born in London Feb. 21, 1801, was ordained an Anglican priest in 1825, became Catholic in 1845 and was made a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII. He died in 1890.

Leading members of the Anglican Church of England and the British government attended the Mass where he was declared a doctor of the Church. The Anglican delegation was led by Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of York, currently the top-ranking prelate of the Church of England. The

Continued on 12

A tapestry of St. John Henry Newman hangs from the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Nov. 1, 2025,

St. Newman co-patron of education

Continued from 11

government delegation was led by David Lammy, deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom and secretary of state for justice.

Greeting Archbishop Cottrell publicly at the end of Mass, Pope Leo prayed that St. Newman would “accompany the journey of Christians toward full unity.”

The banner used during St. Newman’s canonization Mass in 2019 hung from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica during the Mass and his relics were placed on a table near the altar.

While St. Newman’s theology, philosophy and thoughts about university education were cited in the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints’ presentation at the Mass, Pope Leo chose to quote in his homily from the British saint’s poem, “Lead, Kindly Light,” now a popular hymn.

“In that beautiful prayer” of St. Newman’s, the Pope said, “we come to realize that we are far from home, our feet are unsteady, we cannot interpret clearly the way ahead. Yet none of this impedes us, since we have found our guide” in Jesus.

“Lead, Kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on,” the Pope quoted in English while reading his homily in Italian.

Speaking to the teachers, professors and other educators gathered for the Mass in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo said, “The task of education is precisely to offer this Kindly Light to those who might otherwise remain imprisoned by the particularly insidious shadows of pessimism and fear.”

The Pope asked the educators to “reflect upon and point out to others those ‘constellations’ that transmit light and guidance at this present time, which is darkened by so much injustice and uncertainty.”

He also encouraged them “to ensure that schools, universities and every educational context, even those that are informal or street-based, are always

gateways to a civilization of dialogue and peace.”

Another quote from St. Newman –“God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another” – expresses “the mystery of the dignity of every human person, and also the variety of gifts distributed by God,” the Pope said.

Catholic educators, he said, have an obligation not only to transmit information but also to help their students discover how much God loves them and how he has a plan for their lives.

“Life shines brightly not because we are rich, beautiful or powerful,” the Pope said. “Instead, it shines when we discover within ourselves the truth that we are called by God, have a vocation, have a mission, that our lives serve something greater than ourselves.”

“Every single creature has a role to play,” he said. “The contribution that each person can make is uniquely valuable, and the task of educational communities is to encourage and cherish that contribution.”

“At the heart of the educational journey,” Pope Leo said, “we do not find abstract individuals but real people, especially those who seem to be underperforming according to the parameters of economies that exclude or even kill them.

We are called to form people, so that they may shine like stars in their full dignity.”

Lammy, the British government official, told Catholic News Service that he had had the “great honor and privilege” to meet Pope Leo before the Mass.

As a member of the Anglo-Catholic tradition within the Church of England, he said he believes “John Henry Newman really encapsulates the deep connections between our countries and between the Christian communities, across the Christian community.”

The proclamation was “a moment of unity and reflection,” Lammy said. “It’s not just a religious honor, but a powerful moment of cohesion that shows how engaging in our differences can also unite us.”

St. Newman’s legacy, he said, “reminds us that Britain’s religious story is broader than one tradition. It’s been enriched by Catholic thought, courage and contribution.”

In addition, the deputy prime minister said, “I think his life and his writings show how belief and reason together can guide moral leadership, diplomacy, compassion, and I think in an age of polarization, Newman’s insistence on moral reflection calls us back to what truly matters, which is leadership in the cause of what is right and just, which is a principle that should shape our politics.”

Anglican and ecumenical representatives attend Pope Leo XIV’s Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Nov. 1, 2025. CNS photo/Lola Gomez

At 60 years, core principles of ‘Declaration on Christian Education’ remain vital

Given the foundation established by the Second Vatican Council’s 1965 “Declaration on Christian Education (Gravissimum Educationis)” . . . we are invited to reflect on the enduring significance of this text for the Church’s mission in education. This anniversary offers an opportunity to look back on the visionary teaching of the Council and to assess how the principles outlined in Gravissimum Educationis (GE) continue to guide and shape Catholic education in our communities, dioceses and schools today.

From BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

and physical — remains as relevant today as it was in 1965. As a diocesan community in Trenton, we stand at the crossroads of a world marked by rapid technological advancements, shifting cultural values, and increasing challenges to the faith. The call of GE urges us to provide an education that is not only academically rigorous but also deeply rooted in the teachings of Christ and the Church, one that prepares young people to live as faithful disciples in a complex world.

In my capacity as the Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Catholic Education, I am mindful of the profound responsibility entrusted to the Church in the realm of education. The document’s emphasis on the holistic formation of the person — intellectual, spiritual, moral,

At its heart, GE presents a vision of education as a means of human flourishing, grounded in the dignity of the human person created in the image of God. Vatican II emphasized that education is not merely a secular endeavor, but a deeply sacred one. The document opened with a fundamental affirmation: “Since the purpose of education is to help people develop their full potential — intellectually, morally, and spiritually — Catholic education is therefore not simply an academic pursuit, but a means of human and spiritual formation” (GE,1). The role of the Church is not limited to the instruction of children in

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A student from St. Jerome School, West Long Branch, prays during a Catholic Schools Week Mass celebrated earlier this year. John Batkowski photo

Catholic schools have ‘essential mission’

the faith, but also to ensuring that every student — regardless of background or circumstance — receives a broad and well-rounded education that prepares them for the fullness of life in Christ.

The document highlighted the right of every person to an education, emphasizing that no one should be excluded from receiving a Catholic education because of their social, economic, or cultural background. For us, as a diocese, this is a call to widen the reach of Catholic education, to make it accessible, and to ensure that all children — whether in parochial schools or in faith-based religious education programs — are provided with the opportunity to encounter Christ through their learning. The expansion of this vision must take into account the socioeconomic realities faced by many families today, and our commitment to ensuring that the promise of Catholic education is not a privilege for the few, but a gift to all.

The central role of the spiritual and moral formation of students is perhaps the most striking element of GE. Catholic education is intended not only to teach academic subjects but to form young people who will live out their faith in the world. Vatican II firmly placed the responsibility for this formation upon the entire educational community — teachers, administrators, families, and students alike. Education must be a collaborative effort, one that recognizes the crucial role of parents as the primary educators of their children, while also acknowledging the distinctive role of the Church and its schools in nurturing the faith of future generations.

The document outlined how the Church must provide an education that is “permeated by the spirit of Christ,” guiding students not just to understand the truths of the faith, but to internalize them, live them, and bring them to life in the world around them. In this way, Catholic education becomes a form of evangelization, drawing students ever closer to Christ and teaching them to engage the world with a heart of service, compassion, and love. It calls upon educators to be more than teachers --- they must be witnesses to the faith.

In this context, I urge our Catholic schools in the Diocese of Trenton to remember that their core mission is to form disciples, not merely scholars. Teachers must see themselves as catechists, helping to foster in students an encounter with the living Christ, guiding them in the practice of virtue, and instilling in them a sense of the Church’s moral teaching. The goal of Catholic education is to raise up not only individuals who can navigate the complexities of the world but who do so with a moral compass rooted in the Gospel.

The world of 2025 is far different from the world of 1965, yet the principles outlined in GE remain as vital as ever. Today’s students face challenges that the Council fathers could scarcely have anticipated: the rapid pace of technological change (e.g., AI), a society increasingly marked by secularism

and relativism, and a globalized world that presents both extraordinary opportunities and daunting risks. Catholic schools must adapt to these new challenges without losing sight of their essential mission.

One of the most important aspects of GE is the call for Catholic education to engage with the modern world. The Church must not retreat into isolation, but must engage the questions, concerns, and issues that arise within society, bringing the light of the Gospel to bear on the pressing challenges of our time. Catholic schools today must prepare students not just for academic success, but to be thoughtful, ethical citizens who can contribute to the common good and bring Christian principles to bear on the issues of the day — whether in politics, economics, or social justice.

 [Our] core mission is to form disciples ...

In this light, our diocesan schools must continue to reflect critically on the purpose and quality of the education they offer. As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of GE, we are reminded that education is not simply a means of passing on information but a vehicle for transmitting the Gospel. Our schools must be places where faith and reason work together, where students are challenged to grow intellectually and spiritually, and where they are equipped to serve the world as agents of hope and change.

As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, I call upon the faithful in the Diocese of Trenton — parents, pastors and priests, educators, administrators, and students — to renew our commitment to the vision of GE that the idea that education is not simply about preparing students for careers or personal success but about forming them into disciples who will go forth and transform the world with the love of Christ. Our Catholic schools must remain vibrant centers of faith and learning, places where the pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness is never separated from the practice of love, charity, and justice.

In celebrating the 60th anniversary of GE, Catholics need to recall that the Church’s mission in education is ultimately a call to help young people become who God has created them to be as we continue to build a culture of education that nurtures both the mind and the soul, equipping students to be true witnesses to the Lord Jesus Christ in every aspect of their lives.

May our Catholic schools at every level in our Diocese remain ever faithful to this noble calling, as we seek to follow the vision of Vatican II while awaiting the “new message” of Pope Leo XIV and his invitation to serve the mission of the Church in the world today.

CHRISTMAS Sounds

Church

must ‘walk

poor with

the poor’ to serve Christ, says Pope Leo in new exhortation

BY GINA CHRISTIAN  OSV News

In his first apostolic exhortation, Pope Leo XIV has taken up the call of Pope Francis for Christians to see in the poor the very face of Christ – and to be a Church that “walks poor with the poor” in order to authentically live out the Gospel.

“Dilexi Te” (“I Have Loved You”) was publicly released Oct. 9, having been signed on Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, whose radical embrace of poverty and service to the poor is presented as a key example in the exhortation.

The document, which totals more than 21,000 words spanning five chapters, takes its title from Rv. 3:9, in which Christ addresses “a Christian community that, unlike some others, had no influence or resources, and was treated instead with violence and contempt,” wrote Pope Leo.

The exhortation completes one that

“Pope Francis was preparing in the last months of his life” – namely, an apostolic exhortation on the Church’s care for the poor that built on the late Pope’s 2024 encyclical “Dilexit Nos,” said Pope Leo.

“I am happy to make this document my own – adding some reflections – and to issue it at the beginning of my own pontificate, since I share the desire of my beloved predecessor that all Christians come to appreciate the close connection between Christ’s love and his summons to care for the poor,” wrote Pope Leo, who retained Pope Francis’ planned title for the work.

Pope Leo said he, like his predecessor, considered it “essential to insist on this path to holiness,” since – as Pope Francis wrote in his 2018 apostolic exhortation “Gaudete et Exsultate” – “in this call to recognize him in the poor and the suffering, we see revealed the very heart of Christ, his deepest feelings and choices, which every saint seeks to imitate.”

The exhortation draws extensively

on Scripture, papal and conciliar documents, the works of the Church Fathers and the lives of numerous saints – as well as the “ecclesial discernment” of the Latin American bishops, to whom Pope Leo said he was “greatly indebted,” having previously served as an Augustinian missionary in Peru for several years.

POOR AS A PRIORITY

Throughout the document, Pope Leo urges Christians to recognize God’s oneness with the poor, and to prioritize them according to the demands of faith.

“Love for the Lord ... is one with love for the poor,” wrote the Pope, observing later in the document that “Jesus’ teaching on the primacy of love for God is clearly complemented by his insistence that one cannot love God without extending one’s love to the poor.”

In an even more direct passage, Pope Leo admitted, “I often wonder, even though the teaching of Sacred Scripture is so clear about the poor, why many

CNS illustration/Joanna Kohorst with photo by Lola Gomez

people continue to think that they can safely disregard the poor.”

He stressed that poverty is “a multifaceted phenomenon,” and that “there are many forms of poverty.”

Among those are material impoverishment; social marginalization; moral, spiritual and cultural poverty; “personal or social weakness or fragility”; and “the poverty of those who have no rights, no space, no freedom.”

In addition, said Pope Leo, forms of poverty have continued to evolve in ways that are “sometimes more subtle and dangerous.”

He warned that “in general, we are witnessing an increase in different kinds of poverty, which is no longer a single, uniform reality but now involves multiple forms of economic and social impoverishment, reflecting the spread of inequality even in largely affluent contexts.”

Globally, women often bear the brunt of poverty in its various manifestations, said Pope Leo, citing Pope Francis’ 2020 encyclical “Fratelli Tutti.”

CAUSES, CHALLENGES OF POVERTY

Throughout the text of his exhortation, Pope Leo examined personal, cultural, social and systemic factors that both incur poverty and prevent its eradication – all of which, in essence, derive from a disregard for the sanctity of every human life.

“The poor are not there by chance or by blind and cruel fate. Nor, for most of them, is poverty a choice,” said Pope Leo. “Yet, there are those who still presume to make this claim, thus revealing their own blindness and cruelty.”

He pointed to a culture – one “sometimes well disguised” – that “discards others without even realizing it and tolerates with indifference that millions of people die of hunger or survive in conditions unfit for human beings.”

The Pope also deplored “that specious view of meritocracy that sees only the successful as ‘deserving.’”

Such views fuel structures of sin in society that, as Pope Francis said in “Dilexit Nos,” are often “part of a domi-

nant mindset that considers normal or reasonable what is merely selfishness and indifference,” wrote Pope Leo.

As a result, said Pope Leo, “It then becomes normal to ignore the poor and live as if they do not exist,” and “likewise seems reasonable to organize the economy in such a way that sacrifices are demanded of the masses in order to serve the needs of the powerful.”

Christians themselves have not been immune from “attitudes shaped by secular ideologies or political and economic approaches that lead to gross generalizations and mistaken conclusions,” wrote Pope Leo.

 “The poor cannot be neglected ...”

“The fact that some dismiss or ridicule charitable works, as if they were an obsession on the part of a few and not the burning heart of the Church’s mission, convinces me of the need to go back and re-read the Gospel, lest we risk replacing it with the wisdom of this world,” he reflected. “The poor cannot be neglected if we are to remain within the great current of the Church’s life that has its source in the Gospel and bears fruit in every time and place.”

Pope Leo noted that almsgiving “nowadays is not looked upon favorably even among believers,”, being “rarely practiced” and “even at times disparaged.”

While “the most important way to help the disadvantaged is to assist them in finding a good job,” he said, “we cannot risk abandoning others to the fate of lacking the necessities for a dignified life.”

“Almsgiving at least offers us a chance to halt before the poor, to look into their eyes, to touch them and to share something of ourselves with them,” a way of bringing “a touch of ‘pietas’ into a society otherwise marked by the frenetic pursuit of personal gain,” said Pope Leo.

A ‘PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR’

Since Christ chose to become poor by taking on human frailty and flesh, “we

can also speak theologically of a preferential option on the part of God for the poor,” said Pope Leo.

He explained that the expression –which “arose in the context of the Latin American continent” and has been “well integrated into subsequent teachings of the Church” – does not imply “exclusivity or discrimination” towards other groups, but rather speaks of God’s compassion.

“God has a special place in his heart for those who are discriminated against and oppressed, and he asks us, his Church, to make a decisive and radical choice in favor of the weakest,” said Pope Leo.

He cited in detail several of the “numerous witnesses from disciples of Christ spanning almost two millennia” who have exemplified that choice in their lives: the first deacons in the early Church, the Church Fathers, monastics, mendicants, popular movements and modern saints, including St. Teresa of Kolkata.

Pope Leo said that St. Augustine, patron of his religious order, saw the poor as “not just people to be helped, but the sacramental presence of the Lord” – and “caring for the poor as concrete proof of the sincerity of faith.”

Migrants have always been of special concern to the Church, since “the experience of migration accompanies the history of the People of God,” said the Pope, adding that “the Church’s tradition of working for and with migrants continues,” with such service now “expressed in initiatives such as refugee reception centers, border missions and the efforts of Caritas Internationalis and other institutions.”

‘A HISTORY THAT CONTINUES’

The Church’s long history of caring for the poor continues, formed and forged in particular by the development of its social doctrine over the past 150 years, said Pope Leo.

Among the examples he listed were “Rerum Novarum,” the 1891 encyclical on capital and labor issued by Pope Leo XIII, and the documents of the Sec-

Continued on 19

Some reflections on ‘Dilexi te’

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has shared this reflection on Dilexi te, Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation.

Five months into the first year of his pontificate, our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has released the first official document of his papacy entitled Dilexi te (“I have loved you”), drawn from the Book of Revelation, 3:9. Addressed to all Christians, Pope Leo’s initial apostolic exhortation places the poor at the heart of the Church’s mission, urging believers to see the poor not simply as recipients of charity but also and more significantly as the motivation and rationale for the Church herself.

From BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

Leo, offering what will become the framework for the pastoral priorities of his papacy.

Pope Leo has written a deeply spiritual and profound meditation on love and care for the poor as reflected in the Scriptures, the tradition of the Church, and the thought and writings of her greatest and holiest saints throughout her unfolding history. He does so in a wonderfully simple, compelling and accessible way, reminding us all that “contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history. In the poor, he continues to speak to us (para. 5).

The exhortation was signed by our Holy Father in Rome on October 4, 2025, on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, beloved patron of the poor, whose inspiration is clearly evident throughout the text. Pope Leo notes that his exhortation on love and care for the poor should be read in continuity with the thought of his predecessor Pope Francis who had begun the writing of this text shortly before his death in April of this year.

As Bishop of the Diocese and a member of the Congregation of the Mission of St. Vincent de Paul (Vincentians), who was known in 17th century France as the “Father of the Poor,” I welcome this apostolic exhortation with great enthusiasm and recommend its reading by all the faithful, especially pastors and priests who exercise pastoral care for them in our parishes, schools and organizations. Reading the text, I believe it provides an early insight into the mind and perspective of Pope

“The condition of the poor is a cry that, throughout human history, constantly challenges our lives, societies, political and economic systems, and, not least, the Church. On the wounded faces of the poor, we see the suffering of the innocent and, therefore, the suffering of Christ himself. At the same time, we should perhaps speak more correctly of the many faces of the poor and of poverty, since it is a multifaceted phenomenon. In fact, there are many forms of poverty: the poverty of those who lack material means of subsistence, the poverty of those who are socially marginalized and lack the means to give voice to their dignity and abilities, moral and spiritual poverty, cultural poverty, the poverty of those who find themselves in a condition of personal or social weakness or fragility, the poverty of those who have no rights, no space, no freedom (para. 9).”

“God is merciful love, and his plan of love, which unfolds and is fulfilled in history, is above all his descent and coming among us to free us from slavery, fear, sin and the power of death. Addressing their human condition with a merciful gaze and a heart full of love, he turned to his creatures and thus took care of their poverty. Precisely in order to share the limitations and fragility of our human nature, he himself became poor and was born in the flesh like us. We came to know him in the

Pope Leo XIV embraces a child in his Popemobile during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Oct. 8, 2025. OSV News photo/ Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media

smallness of a child laid in a manger and in the extreme humiliation of the cross, where he shared our radical poverty, which is death. It is easy to understand, then, why we can also speak theologically of a preferential option on the part of God for the poor (para. 16).”

I was particularly moved by Pope Leo’s reference to a sermon given by St. Augustine, the patron of the religious order to which he belongs, putting “the following words in the Lord’s mouth: “I received the earth, I will give heaven; I received temporal goods, I will give back eternal goods; I received bread, I will give life… I have been given hospitality, but I will give a home; I was visited when I was sick, but I will give health; I was visited in prison, but I will give freedom. The bread you have given to my poor has been consumed, but the bread I will give will not only refresh you, but will never end (para. 36). … The Almighty will not be outdone in generosity to those who serve the people most in need: the greater the love for the poor, the greater the reward from God (para. 45).”

 “Christian love breaks down every barrier ...”

Pope Leo explains his approach in this exhortation: “I have chosen to recall the age-old history of the Church’s care for the poor and with the poor in order to make clear that it has always been a central part of her life. Indeed, caring for the poor is part of the Church’s great Tradition, a beacon as it were of evangelical light to illumine the hearts and guide the decisions of Christians in every age. That is why we must feel bound to invite everyone to share in the light and life born of recognizing Christ in the faces of the suffering and those in need. Love for the poor is an essential element of the history of God’s dealings with us; it rises up from the heart of the Church as a constant appeal to the hearts of the faithful, both individually and in our communities. As the Body of Christ, the Church experiences the lives of the poor as her very “flesh,” for theirs is a privileged place within the pilgrim people of God. Consequently, love for the poor – whatever the form their poverty may take – is the evangelical hallmark of a Church faithful to the heart of God (para. 103).”

Our Holy Father concludes: “Christian love breaks down every barrier, brings close those who were distant, unites strangers, and reconciles enemies. It spans chasms that are humanly impossible to bridge, and it penetrates to the most hidden crevices of society. By its very nature, Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles and knows no limits. It makes what was apparently impossible happen. Love is above all a way of looking at life and a way of living it. A Church that sets no limits to love, that knows no enemies to fight but only men and women to love, is the Church that the world needs today (para. 120).”

Once again, the voice of Peter is heard in the words of his successor. The encouragement of St. Augustine found in his Confessions is worth heeding with respect to Pope Leo’s first apostolic exhortation Dilexi te: Tolle, lege (“Pick up and read”).”

Pope Leo XIV signs his first apostolic exhortation, “Dilexi Te” (“I Have Loved You”), in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Oct. 4, 2025, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, as Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, the substitute secretary for general affairs at the Vatican Secretariat of State, looks on. The exhortation was released Oct. 9. CNS photo/Vatican Media

Apostolic exhortation signed

Continued from 17

Second Vatican Council, which Pope Leo described as “a milestone in the Church’s understanding of the poor in God’s saving plan.”

The works of St. John Paul II consolidated “the Church’s preferential relationship with the poor was consolidated, particularly from a doctrinal standpoint,” he said, with the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI on the subject taking “a more distinctly political turn” in the face of “the multiple crises that marked the beginning of the third millennium.”

Pope Francis recognized the insights of national and regional bishops’ conferences regarding the Church’s relationship with the poor, he said.

And, said Pope Leo, “the epochal change we are now undergoing” requires “a constant interaction between the faithful and the Church’s Magisterium” on the matter, while also listening to the impoverished themselves, who are “possessed of unique insights indispensable to the Church and to humanity as a whole.”

“Lives can actually be turned around by the realization that the poor have much to teach us about the Gospel and its demands,” wrote Pope Leo.

In the poorest of the poor, he said, “Christ continues to suffer and rise again” – and “it is in them that the Church rediscovers her call to show her most authentic self.”

Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News.

The full text of “Dilexi Te” can be accessed here: https:// www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20251004-dilexi-te.html

Diocese’s Catholic social services respond to

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor, and ELISE STANKUS  Correspondent

Seeds of Service executive director Christie Winters was beside herself Nov. 6 after a harrowing morning restocking the food pantry shelves and assisting patrons.

“We just saw 143 households in three hours,” she said tearfully. “We loaded shelves with 17 student volunteers from Donovan Catholic … and they’re just about empty again. People are parking in fire lanes; I just broke up fights in the parking lot … people are so upset.”

“Our shelves are already empty again,” she added. “We won’t get another food order until next week.”

As federal funding for SNAP food assistance programs ceased Nov. 1, social service agencies collectively steeled themselves for the inevitable: a sharply increased demand upon their already strapped resources.

 “Our shelves are empty again.”

The record-breaking government shutdown – surpassing five weeks at publication – comes on the heels of cutbacks in eligibility for federal social services like SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) and WIC (Women, Infants and Children). Despite the Trump administration’s decision Nov. 3 to fund SNAP at 50% for November by using the program’s contingency fund, eligible recipients will likely not see those payments right away. And about 400,000 New Jersey households are left struggling.

RESOURCES STRAINED

Winters has been through plenty of difficult times in 22 years with Seeds of Service, which began at Visitation Parish and now operates in conjunction with Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton. But this, she said, is different.

“It got really bad in the last week and a half, and now it’s worse. We’ve been through 9-11 and Hurricane Sandy,” she said. “Now people are desperate. They’re angry; some want to steal. I just walked a woman through the pantry, and [we watched] another woman run out with a case of peanut butter.” When another patron protested, Winters said, “Let it go, she must really need it.”

Local agencies that were meant to assist people occasionally are becoming a lifeline of necessity, says Daren Miller, executive director of Mount Carmel Guild in Trenton.

“We’ve seen a 25% increase in those coming to the food pantry,” Miller said of the pantry it also operates in cooperation with CCDOT. “For some, their SNAP benefits have run out and they have no way to get food. Many who are coming have never come before. Some have expressed embarrassment at having to go to a food pantry at all.”

Arnold Valentin, CCDOT’s community services area director, agreed with Miller’s observations.

“The pause on SNAP benefits presents a painful hardship for many of the people we serve,” he said. “These benefits are vital to their wellbeing. Knowing they have to find other ways to feed their families is unfair and will have a negative impact on their mental health.”

Since the beginning of the government shutdown, Valentin said that Catholic Charities has seen a more than 20% increase in traffic to its three food pantries. “Now, with the reduction of SNAP, we are anticipating even more visitors.”

Marlene Lao-Collins, CCDOT’s executive director, said they have already seen some of its nonprofit partners closing their doors due to reductions in funding at all levels.

“While Catholic Charities hasn’t seen drastic cuts, we have experienced reductions significant enough to warrant layoffs in our Family Reunification program and in some of our domestic violence services programs,” she said. “But we are committed to

Students from Donovan Catholic High School, Toms River, volunteer Nov. 6 at the Seeds of Service food pantry in Brick. Courtesy photo

increasing food needs

minimizing the impact this will have on the people we serve.”

“For every one meal Mount Carmel Guild provides, SNAP provided nine,” Miller pointed out. “When federal support shrinks, our partners face constraints, safety nets weaken and demand increases at our doorstep. As a result, we anticipate greater strain on our Community Support Program, which provides emergency food, utility assistance, and eviction prevention support, as well as our accredited Home Health Nursing Program, which enables seniors to age in place with dignity and care.”

MORE THAN HUNGER

While these decisions have taken place on a national level, they have left lasting effects on local communities nationwide. In a March 2025 podcast episode hosted by Goodfaith, a Lawrenceville-based non-profit apostolate, executive director Stephanie Peddicord emphasized the local, tangible aftershocks.

“Our hope is that we can offer a hyper-local window into the very real implications of the actions of our regional community,” she said, “to equip and empower everyday Catholics to take action and do something during what we at Goodfaith are viewing as a time of moral crisis.”

The loss of SNAP benefits is “just the first domino” according to Brenda Rascher, diocesan liaison for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and executive director of the Diocese’s Office of Catholic Social Services.

“It will exacerbate the numbers even further,” she said. “It not only means going hungry – it means making difficult decisions. It’s a domino effect – if families lose their food stamps, now they have to decide, ‘do I feed my children, or do I pay the rent, or the utility bill?’ You can only make so many decisions on a limited income.”

Even before the government shutdown and the July 4 passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act – which aims to reform the American tax code, including provisions which call for large-scale funding cuts from federal social service programs

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

CATHOLIC CHARITIES, DIOCESE OF TRENTON: The CCDOT Community Services team operates three food pantries within the Diocese of Trenton:

Mercer County, in cooperation with Mount Carmel Guild: 73 North Clinton Ave., Trenton – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; Wednesdays from 1 – 3 p.m.

Burlington County: 460 Veterans Dr., Burlington – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.; Thursdays 9 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Ocean County, in cooperation with Seeds of Service: 725 Mantoloking Rd., Brick – Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 – 5 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 – 7 p.m.

Joy Wright, member of the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley, assists a care receiver with food shopping in Mount Carmel Guild’s food pantry, a cooperative effort with Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton. Facebook photo

like SNAP and Medicaid – the working poor were feeling the pinch, Rascher said.

“We were seeing the increased need because of inflation (the increase in price of goods and services over time) … and then utilities went up 17-20% across the board in summer,” she explained. “Those families now have to figure out how to get the same food on the little bit of money they have. So many live on minimum wage … do the math – it doesn’t make ends meet.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall inflation peaked in 2022 at 8%, and food at 10.4%; although rates of increase have dropped, inflation remains at 3.1%, above the federal reserve recommended 2% rate. Practically, this means costs are still rising and wages are not keeping pace, affecting those who can least afford it.

Rascher firmly believes social service agencies benefit the most from monetary donations they can use without restriction, which often comes with government-derived funding.

“They need unrestricted donations that will help address …

For more information on all of our Community Services, please visit: www.catholiccharitiestrenton.org/.../housing-food/ Donations of non-expired, shelf-stable food items can be dropped off at pantry locations during operating hours. Monetary donations can also be made online at www.catholiccharitiestrenton. org/donate/

MOUNT CARMEL GUILD, TRENTON: Donate directly to Mount Carmel Guild online at www.mtcarmelguild.org. Donations can be mailed to: Mount Carmel Guild, 73 North Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08609.

SEEDS OF SERVICE, BRICK: The food pantry at Seeds of Service, Brick, is currently running a Mission Matching Funds Campaign. All monetary donations will be matched up to $20,000, for a total goal of $40,000. To make a donation, visit www.seedsofservice.help/.

Food assistance needed

Continued from 21

whatever domino is getting ready to fall,” she said. “For example, rental assistance [from government] cannot be used to help someone who is living in a hotel to avoid homelessness.”

Winters echoed Rascher, saying monetary donations go further in their hands. “We have the ability to work with our partnerships; they can give us discounts, we can get to the food banks with our trucks, and we can purchase what we’re missing.”

Additionally, some food items donated with good intention, Rascher noted, “can’t be used by those suffering from high blood pressure because of high salt content, or by those with diabetes because of the sugar content, and some people have food allergies. Money enables food pantries to buy what families need.”

MEETING THE DEMAND

Ever proactive, social service agencies are responding to

A MESSAGE FROM BISHOP O’CONNELL

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I turn to you once again on behalf of the poor and needy. Families in our community and across America are facing hunger as SNAP and WIC benefits have been interrupted and remain uncertain at this writing. Catholic Charities USA is responding to a surge in need — and we must be ready to help.

Your gift today will be matched dollar for dollar to provide twice the meals. A $50 donation can feed a family of four for more than a week.

Children, seniors, and people with disabilities will be hit hardest. We cannot let them go hungry. I never ask anything of you that I am not willing to do myself.

Please give now to help Catholic Charities stock food pantries, deliver meals, and to ensure no family in need is turned away.

Donate now at: ccusa.online/shutdown; call 800-919-9338 or donate by mail: 2050 Ballenger Ave., Alexandria, VA 22314

Thank you and God bless you and those your gift will help.

Respectfully yours in the Lord,

Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M., J.C.D.

Bishop of Trenton

with campaigns designed to educate about what is most needed, and advertising additional food pantry hours.

“God bless our network we’ve built over the years,” Winters said of the many grocery stores and restaurants that contribute unsold food to Seeds of Service. “Our pantry is run by some amazing women and men volunteers.”

Generous donors recently made possible a matching funds program for up to $20,000 for SOS, which launched the weekend of Nov. 8-9.

“Thankfully, Catholic Charities USA will be delivering seven pallets of food to us during this vital time to provide extra support to people who are food insecure within the Diocese,” said Valentin. “The emergency funding awarded to New Jersey’s food banks – including the Food Bank of South Jersey, Fulfill and Mercer Street Friends – will help us stock the shelves at our three food pantries.”

 “We can always use more volunteers ...”

As the holidays draw near, MCG is reinvigorating its annual campaign as the SNAP Gap Fund, which has already begun to roll out on social media and mailings to various partners, Miller said. “We get some help from various parishes and the Food Bank, but what we routinely receive is not going to be enough to meet the new demands. We have to look at doubling our efforts.”

Staff have also suggested offering Saturday hours for the pantry at least through Thanksgiving and possibly Christmas.

“We can always use more volunteers, especially during our busiest time of the year,” Miller said, adding that all donations of time and treasure “will be critical in helping us meet those needs.”

During listening sessions with care receivers, Miller observed that their needs go beyond food.

“A number who come by the pantry are repeat attendees … there are gaps from a personal and professional employment perspective,” he explained. “The issue is two-fold – their safety net is being unraveled, and [they’re lacking] information about opportunities and assistance to access to them.”

MCG has had to graduate to supplementing individuals on a day-to-day basis. Through its Dream Again Trenton program, “We want to try to align them with other organizations for skill development to help supplement their income,” he said.

Catholic Charities, too, is deeply committed to providing uninterrupted service to the community. In addition to the necessary direct service to the poor, Lao-Collins emphasizes the importance of civic duty in lobbying for policy change.

“By sharing stories of the people we serve and the impact these cuts will have on the quality of their lives, we hope to show our legislators and community how imperative it is to prioritize human dignity,” she said.

In Episode 5 of the “In Goodfaith” podcast, Peddicord urges listeners to view policy changes not as a partisan political issue, but a faith-based one. “No matter what politicians are in office,” she said, “as Catholics, it is our faith in Jesus first and foremost and our belief in the Gospel that should guide our actions.”

Funds from upcoming CCHD collection can give a ‘hand up’ to those in need

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

The way Brenda Rascher sees it, the call to serve those in need is based on the concept of “two feet” with one foot being for charity – a handout – and the other for social justice – a “hand up.”

“Most of the services being provided fall to the charity category,” such as food pantries, clothing, utility and rental assistance, said Rascher, diocesan executive director of Catholic Social Services.

“While this is an incredibly important foot that aims to help stabilize a person in need, we should not forget that it is difficult to walk on one foot.”

Rascher made this point while reflecting on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development annual national collection, to be taken up in parishes the weekend of Nov. 15-16.

SOME FUNDS STAY IN DIOCESE

CCHD, the U.S. Catholic bishops’ domestic anti-poverty program, aims to break the cycle of poverty by empowering low-income individuals to engage in decisions that affect their lives, families and communities. Of the amount collected, 75 percent is sent to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ national CCHD office for grants and programs that foster hope in communities across the country. The remaining 25 percent is retained by each Diocese to support local anti-poverty projects.

Previous grant recipients in the Diocese of Trenton have included parish-based St. Vincent de Paul conferences and other diocesan agencies, such as the Mount Carmel Guild, a Trenton-based diocesan outreach agency; the Mercer County CYO, which provides athletic and educational programs for youth of Mercer County; and parish-organized food pantries.

Rascher pointed out that while CCHD has always been about the “hands up” – the social justice foot, she cautioned that “social justice is not about radical action.”

“It’s about looking at the obstacles placed in front of people who are struggling,” she said. “It’s about removing obstacles that can be removed. It’s about creating pathways to help a person acquire the tools they individually need to take steps out of poverty. It means that CCHD is assisting people beyond the basic needs,” Rascher said, then cited an example such as grassroots organizations receiving help to get organized to start businesses that create jobs for their community.

Locally, she added, through funds received by the Diocese, grants are given out to support teaching tools that enable people to understand how to manage their budgets and “to look at how to overcome the obstacles the individual is facing that keeps them struggling.”

WORLD DAY OF THE POOR

Encouraging the faithful of the Diocese to support the CCHD collection, Rascher said “the more raised, the more we get to support our local organizations’ efforts.”

As the date of the CCHD collection coincides with the Church’s observance of the World Day of the Poor, Bishop Timothy Senior of Harrisburg, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, said “World Day of the Poor is an invitation for us to pray and to act, to build a world that truly recognizes the God-given dignity of our brothers and sisters who are the most vulnerable.”

“I invite you to remember the Lord’s words about the mustard seed: Even the smallest act of faith can, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, grow into something that transforms lives and renews communities, both across our nation and within your own diocese.”

USCCB

Mary, mother of Jesus and all believers, is not co-redeemer, Vatican says

BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

VATICAN CITY • While praising devotion to Mary, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith firmly rejected moves to formally proclaim Mary as “co-redemptrix” or “co-mediatrix.” In a lengthy doctrinal note titled “Mater Populi Fidelis” (“Mother of the Faithful People of God”), the dicastery said the title co-redemptrix or co-redeemer “carries the risk of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ” in salvation. And, regarding the title co-mediatrix or co-mediator, it said that Mary, “the first redeemed, could not have been the mediatrix of the grace that she herself received.” However, it said, the title may be used when it does not cast doubt on “the unique mediation of Jesus Christ, true God and true man.” Pope Leo XIV approved the text Oct. 7 and ordered its publication, said the note, which was released Nov. 4. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the doctrinal dicastery, presented the document during a conference at the Jesuit headquarters in Rome and said its teaching becomes part of the church’s “ordinary magisterium” and must be considered authoritative.

‘Mary, Mother of the Faithful people of God’: a doctrinal reflection

BY BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

On November 4, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a new “doctrinal note” on the Blessed Virgin Mary, entitled Mater Populi Fidelis (“Mother of the Faithful People of God”).

A doctrinal note is an official teaching document of the Dicastery, intended to clarify and safeguard Catholic teaching on particular questions. Unlike legislative or devotional texts, such notes focus on doctrinal accuracy, offering guidance to bishops, pastors, and theologians as they carry out their teaching mission. They serve the unity of faith by addressing misunderstandings and providing clear reference points for the Church’s life and witness with ecumenical sensitivity.

This new note reflects Mary’s role in the mystery of salvation. Without introducing new doctrine or dogmas, it seeks to balance heartfelt devotion with theological precision. It reaffirms Mary as a model of faith and a maternal intercessor, while carefully situating her cooperation in salvation history within the unique and all-sufficient redemptive work of Christ. In doing so, it also addresses with sensitivity the debated title of “Co-Redemptrix,” clarifying its meaning in light of the Church’s tradition.

Mater Populi Fidelis stands within a long line of Marian theological reflection, from the Second Vatican Council’s “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church” Lumen Gentium (Chapter VIII) to Pope St. John Paul II’s encyclical Redemptoris Mater (1987). It continues the Church’s meditation on Mary’s “yes” to God and her presence at the Cross, both of which remain central to Catholic spirituality and doctrine.

Recent popes have consistently affirmed Mary’s singular cooperation in salvation, always emphasizing that it is entirely dependent on and subordinate to Christ’s redeeming act. Pope St. John Paul II often employed stronger Marian language, Popes Benedict XVI and Francis spoke with greater caution, and Pope Leo XIV now encourages renewed study while maintaining theological balance. In this trajectory, Mater Populi Fidelis honors Mary’s maternal role with clarity and reverence, while avoiding doctrinal exaggeration.

Pope Leo XIV places a crown on a statue of Mary and the Child Jesus during a meeting with participants in the Jubilee of the Roma, Sinti and Traveling Peoples in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican Oct. 18, 2025. CNS photo/Vatican Media

Here are some highlights of the doctrinal note to look for in the text:

“Mary is rightly called ‘Mother of the Faithful People of God,’ not because she generates the Church biologically, but because she accompanies it maternally in its journey of faith (para. 6).” This quote encapsulates the central theme of the note: Mary’s spiritual motherhood is rooted in her faith and obedience, not in biological generation.

“Mary’s faith at the Annunciation is the beginning of the Church’s journey in faith (para. 6).” This highlights how Mary’s personal ‘yes’ to God marks the origin of the Church’s life of faith.

 “The Church walks with Mary, not behind her.”

“The holy Fathers see Mary not merely as a passive instrument in the hands of God, but as freely cooperating in the work of human salvation through faith and obedience (para.7).” This echoes the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and affirms Mary’s active role in salvation history.

“Mary’s cooperation in the work of salvation is always subordinate to and dependent upon the unique mediation of Christ (para. 8).” This clarifies that while Mary plays a vital role, it does not rival or replace Christ’s redemptive work.

“Her intercession is not magical intervention, but the fruit of her union with Christ and her love for his Body (para. 8).”

This clarifies the nature of Marian intercession, avoiding superstition while affirming her spiritual power.

“The title ‘Co-redemptrix’ is not to be used in official Church teaching, as it risks obscuring the singular role of Christ as Redeemer (para. 9).” The note explicitly discourages

A statue of Mary known as “Salus Populi Romani” (“Our Lady, Health of the Roman People”) was blessed by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome June 24, 2010. The 30-foot statue was restored after it fell from its pedestal during a storm in October.

CNS photo/Paul Haring, June 24, 2010

this controversial title, emphasizing theological precision and unity.

“Mary is the first disciple, the one who believed, loved, and followed Christ most perfectly (para. 10).” This quote elevates Mary as a model for all believers, reinforcing her maternal closeness to the faithful.

“She is the place where only God can reach, the living water that flows, the love that gives itself in the world (para. 11).”

A poetic reflection on Mary’s mystical role in the life of the Church and her intimate union with divine grace.

“Mary’s faith at the Annunciation is the beginning of the Church’s journey in faith (para. 6).” This highlights how Mary’s personal ‘yes’ to God marks the origin of the Church’s life of faith

“She is the memory of the Church, the one who treasures and ponders the mysteries of Christ (para. 11).” This poetic line emphasizes Mary’s contemplative role and her spiritual intimacy with Christ.

“In her, the People of God recognize the perfect image of what they are called to become (para. 12).” Mary is presented as the model of holiness and discipleship for all Christians.”

“Mary’s maternal presence is not a theological abstraction but a lived reality in the life of the faithful (para. 12).” This grounds Marian devotion in everyday experience, not just doctrine.

“The Church walks with Mary, not behind her, for she is the companion of the pilgrim people (para. 12).” A beautiful expression of Mary’s closeness and solidarity with the faithful.

May this beautiful doctrinal note yield a deeper understanding of our Blessed Mother and her role in and for the Church as Mother of the faithful people of God..  And, as always, may our Marian meditation, devotion and prayer lead us to her Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Blessed Mother

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‘Through the Years’ Anniversary couples celebrate the gift of married life

BY ANGELICA CHICAIZA  Correspondent and MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

Kipsy Caragay is pragmatic when reflecting on her first year of marriage to her husband Ramil.

“If it weren’t for our faith, I don’t think we would have even started dating or liking each other in the first place,” she said, then with a smile she pointed out that she and Ramil are polar opposites, come from different backgrounds and have different interests.

“But the one thing that did bring us together,” she said, “was our love for Jesus and our love for serving him and worshiping him. That’s where it all started and that’s the reason we’re here today.”

Members of Holy Innocents Parish, Neptune, the Caragays were among the 200 couples from around the Diocese who

 “The one thing that did bring us together ... was our love for Jesus.”

attended one of the two Bishop’s Anniversary Blessing Masses this year. Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., celebrated a Mass Oct. 5 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, for married couples from Burlington and Mercer Counties marking one, 25, 50 or more years of marriage this year. The Bishop celebrated another Mass Oct. 19 in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, for couples from Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

The Bishop’s Anniversary Blessing Mass has been a beloved tradition in the Diocese since it was established by Bishop George W. Ahr in 1963. During each Mass, participating couples renew their

An anniversary couple renews their wedding vows during the Oct. 5 Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral. Mike Ehrmann photo Continued

Father Cyril Johnson, parochial vicar of St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, bestows a blessing on Jeyabalan and Fatima Britto, who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. The Brittos arrived from India to attend the Mass as well as to share the day with their daughter and son-in-law, Anitha and Peter Rajesh Selvaraj, who are members of St. Gregory the Great Parish and are marking their 25th wedding anniversary.

Bishop O’Connell accepts the Offertory gifts from Patricia & Samuel Falconella of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, during the Oct. 5 Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. The Falconellas are married 63 years. Mike Ehrmann photo

Continued from 27

Msgr. Sam Sirianni, rector of St. Robert Bellarmine CoCathedral, Freehold, imparts a blessing on a first-year anniversary couple during the Oct. 19 Mass. John Batkowski photo

wedding vows and receive a special blessing from the Bishop. After Mass, the couples are invited to receive an individual blessing from one of the concelebrating priests and are given a certificate marking their anniversary milestone. The couples and their guests are then treated to a reception.

ROOTED IN SCRIPTURE

“Stir into the flame the gift of God that you have …,” Bishop O’Connell said in his Oct. 5 homily, reflecting on the day’s reading from St. Paul.

“Marriage is a gift, a flame that must be tended. In the first year, the flame is new and bright. At 25 years, it may flicker,

Mike Ehrmann photo

needing rekindling through prayer, shared memories and renewed commitment. At 50 years, it burns steady and warm, illuminating the path for others.”

“Paul reminds us that love is not passive, it is powerful, disciplined and courageous,” Bishop O’Connell said to the couples from Burlington and Mercer Counties. “To all couples, stir into the flame the gift of your marriage. Let it shine with the Spirit of God.”

In his Oct. 19 homily, Bishop O’Connell recalled the parable of the widow who refused to be ignored and ultimately prevailed because of her persistence.

“She knew what she needed and she would not let go,” the Bishop said of the woman.

“Is this not also a parable for marriage?” the Bishop asked the couples from Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

“There are seasons of joy and seasons of trial, moments when love feels effortless and moments when love is a daily decision, renewed with effort and prayer,” Bishop O’Connell said. “And yet, you remained. You kept knocking. You kept praying. You remained faithful. Just like the widow, you trusted that love was worth the perseverance.”

LASTING LOVE

Through joyful words, laughter and tears, couples shared thoughts on the milestone marriages being celebrated.

Kipsy Caragay said that it was uniquely special that she and Ramil attended the Jubilee for Youth in Rome soon after their wedding and that they had an opportunity to receive a newlywed papal blessing from Pope Leo XVI.

Now, for the couple to receive Bishop O’Connell’s blessing, “that’s a big deal,” Ramil added.

After 50 years together, Eileen and John Welsh of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson, are grateful for their Catholic faith and knowing “that God’s always present in our lives, through the good times and in the bad, through our struggles,” Eileen said.

Continued on 30

A couple reads the Prayers of the Faithful during the Oct. 19 Mass in Freehold. John Batkowski photo

A 25-year anniversary couple joins hands as they recite the Lord’s Prayer during the Oct. 5 Mass. Mike Ehrmann photo

At both Masses, Bishop O’Connell led the couples in the renewal of their wedding vows. In this photo are Joan and George Bachar of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Bradley Beach, who are married 65 years. John Batkowski photo

“Most of our times have been good,” Eileen said, except for the rough patch from about 20 years ago when both she and John lost three parents.

“Our faith got us through it,” she said. “It has always been a part of who both of us are.”

 “... We see, and the children see, what true love is ...”

Dan and Donna Weeks of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish, New Egypt, said their Catholic faith has served as the foundation of their 50 years of marriage, and celebrating it in a faith setting at the Bishop’s Anniversary Blessing made it all the more special.

“Thank you for a wonderful day on Sunday,” the Weeks said extending appreciation to the diocesan organizers. “We know it took hard work to give all of us such a memorable day.”

Chris and Jennie Hallinan of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Bradley Beach, said they’ve learned a lot during their first year of marriage. One lesson learned, Chris said, is “keeping the ritual of spending Sunday mornings together as husband and wife.”

“Going to church gives us something to look forward to,” Chris said. He also shared a few words of advice, saing “keep dating, keep an ongoing line of communication open with each other and pick your battles.”

Msgr. Joseph Roldan, rector of St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, is among the pastors who enjoyed sharing in a happy occasion with married couples.

“It gives us an opportunity to thank those who are courageous enough to enter marriage and to show the younger generation that it is possible,” he said.

“… It is interesting to see how our faith allows us to live it out because in our society today, we think everything is easy and should be handed down. But in a marriage, we see and the children see, what true love is, what it is to share, what it is to compromise, to work together for the good of the family unit,” he said. “It is a beautiful Sacrament.”

Congratulations & warm wishes to all the couples celebrating a special anniversary this year, especially....

With God’s blessing for 50 years of marriage, you still “Colour My World” with love every day. Here’s to many more years of love and happiness. I love you very much.

Patricia & James Gaffney

A promise made by Richard and Linda when love was new has brought us to this day... We pledged the giving of our hearts to love in God’s pure way. Linda & Richard Christina 50th Anniversary

This happy anniversary couple recreated the ever-popular wedding reception tradition of feeding each other wedding cake. Only this time around they fed each other sandwiches during the reception following the Mass in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold. John Batkowski photo

After 65 years of a happy and holy marriage, with four beautiful children, what else could one ask for?

Irene & James McCarthy

May God Bless

Bill and Susan Aberer on their 50th Wedding Anniversary!

Anthony, As we celebrate our 60th Anniversary, May the Lord continue to bless us with much love, happiness and gratitude not only for each other but also our family. Blessings and Prayers for many more years. ~Marie Anthony & Marie Enourato

To the love that built our home, to the laughter and challenges that filled it, to our four children who completed us and to the journey that continues, hand in hand. Here’s to 50 years of us and to every moment still to come. ~ Judy & Bertram Kern

Jesus, you have blessed us abundantly throughout our lives as we celebrate 60 wonderful years of marriage. We thank you for guiding and protecting us always.

Ed & Fran Walters

Happy 50th Anniversary, Matthew. Looking forward to many, many more years of love and happiness. Joann

Joann & Matthew McGrath

Deacon James & Deborah Gillespie

50th Wedding Anniversary

We give thanks to Almighty God for the gifts of Love, Family, Friends and many blessings along life’s journey of 50 years of marriage. May God continue to bless us.

Amen

Ron & Maryann Dunham

50 years of marriage is such a blessing and witness to everyone in your lives!

May God bless your love with many more joyful years ahead!

Love you, Dina & Michael

As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary we thank God for our many Blessings….. our daughter Sandra & her husband Kevin, their children Eamon & Maeve, and our son John & his wife

Jessica and their son Jack. ~ John & Terry Schaal

Celebrating 63 years of marriage

Thank you, God, for letting us meet on the beach of Ocean City, NJ. We would do it all over again! May God continue to bless us and our family.

Samuel & Patricia Falconello

God has truly blessed us with 25 great years of marriage. May he continue to bless us in the years ahead. We are grateful for our gift of faith.

Deacon Michael Lee & Mary Foster

A deacon and his wife renew their wedding vows during the Bishop’s Anniversary Blessing Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

Celebrating couples married... 1 year • 25 years • 50+ years

THE COUPLES WHO TOOK PART IN ONE OF THE BISHOP’S ANNIVERSARY BLESSINGS ARE LISTED HERE, BY COUNTY AND PARISH:

Burlington County

HOLY EUCHARIST, Tabernacle • Barbara & Roy Dunn, 50 • Jessica & Jamison Garrett, 25

OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL, Moorestown • Theresa & John Schaal, 25 • Michelle & Kevin Whitaker, 50

RESURRECTION, Delran • Barbara & Deacon Daniel Meehan, 50

SACRED HEART, Mount Holly Emilia & Deacon James L. Casa, 65

SACRED HEART, Riverton • Linda & Thomas Colella, 50 • Cynthia & Patrick Greco, 50

ST. ANN, Browns Mills • Susan & Joseph Gazzara, 51 • Lorena Hernández & Juan Carmona, 50 •

Felipa M. Loyola Quiroz & Juan Pablo Maldonado Benitez, 1

ST. CHARLES BORROMEO, Cinnaminson • Jennifer & Francis Ellis, 1 • Elizabeth & Edward Kearney, 25 • Eileen & John Welsh, 50

Mercer County

INCARNATION-ST. JAMES, Ewing

• Giovanna & Giacomo Alessi, 70 • Ruth & Thomas DeFalco, 50 • Mary & Anthony Enourato, 60 • Angela & Thomas Rivella, 66

OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL, West Trenton • Barbara & Christopher Mussell, 51

 OUR LADY OF SORROWSST. ANTHONY, Hamilton • Antonia & Gennaro DiOrio, 50 • Patricia & Samuel Falconello, 63 • Marilyn & Kenneth Jones, 50 • Clare & Angelo Milioto 55 • Donna & Donald Povia, 50

OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS, Trenton • Zoila Lema & José Saeteros, 25

SACRED HEART, Trenton • Josephine & Charles Armenti, 55 • Nettie & Francis Kollie, 20

ST. ALPHONSUS, Hopewell • Henrietta & Edward Heitzman, 65

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA , Hightstown • Nancy & Peter Ferrante, 55 • Mary Lynn & James S. Novak, 50 • Marlana & Donald Rokose, 25 • Myriam & Fabian

Mike Ehrman photo

Tobito, 1

ST. DAVID THE KING , Princeton Junction • Josephine & Wendel Lim, 50

ST. GREGORY THE GREAT, Hamilton Square • Fatima Jeyabalan & Peter Britto Jeyabalan, 50 • Marie & Vincent Marcello, 50 • Anitha Jeyabalan & Peter Rajesh Selvaraj, 25 • Fran & Edwin Walters, 60

ST. HEDWIG , Trenton • Donna & Bogdan Kania, 25

ST. JAMES, Pennington • Marlene & Louis Hingstman, 50 • Karen & Wayne Ranbom, 50

ST. JOSEPH, Trenton • Ana Griselda Gonzalez Vasquez & Robin Noel Gonzalez Del Cid Gonzalez, 1 • Marilyn & Antonio Palafox, 1 • Mayte Viviana Sanchez Pazmino & Adrian Flores Chavez, 1 • Gabriela A. Lopez & Kelvin A Merino Martinez, 1 • Kimberly De Los Angeles Navarro Morales & Lenon Martin Serrano Ureña, 1 • Stephanie Torres & Jeremy Joshua Rodas, 1

ST. RAPHAEL-HOLY ANGELS, Hamilton • Heidi & Joseph Vizzoni, 25

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL , Yardville • Barbara & Thomas Hope, 55 • Nicole & Michael Weatherholtz, 1

Monmouth County

CHRIST THE KING , Long Branch •Tamie & Joseph Critelli, 25 • Marianne & Michael Moran, 50

HOLY FAMILY, Keyport • Karen & Francis Amabile, 25 • Rose Mary & Brian Glancy, 25 • Gloria & Frank Rotella, 50 • Mary Rose & Pat Spagnuolo, 55

HOLY INNOCENTS, Neptune • Kipsy & Ramil Caragay, 1

NATIVITY, Fair Haven • Janet & John Bruzzi 50 • Kathleen & Albert Doty, 56

ORATORY CHURCH OF ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA, Red Bank • Antonia Robles & Valentín

Tecuanhuehue, 25 • Auria Méndez Luna & José Luis Varela, 1 • Micki Michael Tuohy, 51

OUR LADY OF FATIMA , Keyport • Milagros Nepomuceno & Jose Franco Nanawa, 54

OUR LADY OF HOPE, West Long Branch • Mary & Lawrence Dirienzo, 50

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP-ST. AGNES, Atlantic Highlands • Debra & Peter Capella, 50 • Kathleen & Daniel Cowan, 1 • Samantha & Christopher Kinzler, 1 • Carol & Anthony Alleva, 58

ST. ANSELM, Wayside • Donna & Angelo Catania, 53

ST. BENEDICT, Holmdel • Julia & David Fedak, 1 • Nancy & Richard Francese, 60 • Margaret & John Lane, 50

ST. CATHARINE, Holmdel • Barbara & Benjamin Tirabassi, 60

ST. CATHARINE-ST. MARGARET, Spring Lake • Maureen & Rudy Grasso, 57

ST. CATHERINE LABOURE , Middletown • Lillian & Charles Cooper, 50 • Earline & Eugene Cutolo, 62 • Theresa & Anthony Gibilisco, 25 • Jeanine & Dennis Hernandez, 25 • Janet & Michael Marinelli, 50 • Patricia & Edward Reed, 25

ST. CLEMENT, Matawan • Judith & William Campbell, 55 • Evelyn & Gene Hebding, 50 • Linda & Frank LaRocca, 54 • Valerie & Robert Pantina, 50

ST. DENIS, Manasquan • Kathy & Roger Bracken, 63 • Terry & Ron DePasquale, 52 • Nicole & Michael Federici, 25 • Michelle & Russell Gartz, 25 •Jan & Ronald Pilla, 25

ST. JAMES, Red Bank • Kerry & Joseph Boa, 50 • Kathleen & Danny Green, 51 • Leigh & Paul Juska, 50 • Therese A. & Francis C. Knotz, 50 • Audrey & Alex LaRocca, 1

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, Allentown • Annarose & John Parra, 51

ST. JOSEPH, Millstone Township • Barbara & Louis Russo, 60 • ToniAnn & Salvatore Zerilli, 25

ST. LEO THE GREAT, Lincroft • Janice & William Bornemann, 50 • Ella & James Langtry, 55

ST. MARY, Colts Neck • Eileen & Michael Tivala, 52

ST. MARY, Middletown • Aileen & John Lang, 50 • Annette & Daniel Marchesiello, 50 • Kathleen & Ralph Phillips, 50 • Diana & Richard West, 58

ST. MICHAEL, West End • Gabriele & John Amato, 50 • Collette & Cliff Bailey, 50 • Joanne M. & Frank A.Buono, 51 • Toni Ann & James Martin, 25

ST. ROBERT BELLARMINE CO-CATHEDRAL, Freehold • Toni & Raymond Santiago 1 • Linda & Ignazio Antico, 60 • Margaret & George Bonanno, 50 • Louise & Robert Campbell, 55 • Angela & Carmine Cipoletti, 52 • Eileen & Richard Fontana, 63 • Marilyn & John Kuper, 65 • Cabrina & Vito Lubrano, 63 • Nancy & Bud Molee, 66 • Jessica & Christopher Palmer, 1 • Debra & Sergio Peneiras, 25 • Sheri & Matthew Pennington, 1 • Margaret & Louis Protano, 50 • Rosemary & Carmine Romano, 63 • Fillie Cipullo & Ronald Duchaine, 51 • Francesca & Matthew Umana, 1

ST. ROSE , Belmar • Giovanna & Peter J. Accumanno, 50

ST. ROSE OF LIMA , Freehold • Norma Alcaraz & Ramiro Perez, 1 •Marisol Medina & Luis Ramirez, 1 • Patricia & Ruben Avila, 25 • Domenica & Anthony Greco, 50 • Barbara & Thomas Houston, 65 • Linda & John Martone, 51 • Joann & Matthew McGrath, 50 • Reyna Perez Martinez & Pedro Gonzalez Ramos, 1 • Madeline & Andrew Smith, 51 • Melissa & Lucas Young, 25

ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA , Bradley Beach • Joan & George Bachar, 65 • Margaret & Dennis

Continued on 34

Diggins, 50 • Jennie & Christopher Hallinan, 1 • Dore & Robert J Murray, 25 • Mary & Robert Armstrong, 51

ST. THOMAS MORE, Manalapan • Mary Patricia & Michael Lee Foster, 25 • Beatrice & Vincent Licitra, 25 • Patricia & John Phelan, 51 • Agnes & Angelo Zuffante, 50

ST. VERONICA, Howell • Caterina Nicola & Romeo DiSantillo, 50 • Carol & Casimir Sadlowski, 60 • Gina & Jeffrey Sarmiento, 25 • Rachel & Devin Thompson, 1

ST. WILLIAM THE ABBOT, Howell • Susan & William Aberer, 50 • Jeanmarie & Kevin Holmes, 25 • Marichille & Elner Jamolod, 25

Ocean County

EPIPHANY, Brick • Thea & Stephen Clark, 50 • Patricia & James Gaffney, 50

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE, Lakewood • Irene & James McCarthy, 65 • Samantha & Dominik Sepko, 1

SACRED HEART, Bay Head • Joann & Lawrence Sramowicz, 50

ST. ALOYSIUS, Jackson • Normajean

& Vincent Cesario, 57 • Marlene & Samuel DePaulis, 54 • Francine & Jim Guldner, 55 • Samantha & Christopher Kinzler, 1 • Joan & Eugene McLoughlin, 61 • Peggy & James Mulvehill, 60 • Francine & Ricardo Pedone, 50 • Maria & Joseph Sicliano, Jr., 59 • Mary & Victor Tardio, 50

ST. BARNABAS, Bayville • Diane & Matthew DiGiovanni, 25

ST. DOMINIC, Brick • Jane & Maurizio Deluca, 55 • Susan & Frank Fresca, 50 • Pacitasy Sy & Joseph Wilchinsky, 25

ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON, Whiting • Cheryl & Frank Landry, 52

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, Long Beach Township • Dorothy & Michael Duffy, 65

ST. ISIDORE THE FARMER , New Egypt • Donna & Daniel Weeks, 50 • Regina & John Gomba, 50

ST. JOHN, Lakehurst • MarieAnnette & Dominick Buonpane, 50 • Maria & Jeffrey Jable, 59 • Margaret & Robert Lapinski, 52 • Margaret & Ralph Mondella, 50

ST. JOSEPH, Toms River • Dorothy

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& Anthony Bernice, 50 • Denise & Raymond Grysko, 50 • Aileen & Romy Kaamino, 25 • Patti & John Keelan, 50 • Barbara & Louis Mangerpan, 63 • Lisa & Joseph Pongracz, 1 • Michele & Carmen Russomanno, 50 • Barbara & Philip Schellato, 51 • Veronica & Raymond Tracy, 60

ST. JUSTIN THE MARTYR, Toms River • Judith & Martin Bartocci, 50 • Deborah & James Gillespie, 50 • Jo Ann & Thomas Hardhouse , 50 • Catherine Elaine & Carl Kling, 63

ST. LUKE, Toms River • Maryann & Ronald Dunham, 50 • Theresa & Gerald Medvetz, 60 • Mary Eileen & Ronald Pellecchia, 25

ST. MARTHA, Point Pleasant • Teresa & Robert Constantino, 54 • Eileen & Dennis Danilewicz, 50 • Ann & John Oppici, 65 • Annette & John Richards, 60 • Micki & Michael Tuohy, 51

 ST. MARY, Barnegat • Rosa & Louis Barbas, 50 • Dolores & John Cannuli, 70 • Linda & Richard Christina, 50 • Denise & Steven Gachko, 50 • Anna & Francis Guerin, 57 • Judy & Bertram Kern, 50 • Gerrie & Joseph Marchese, 50 • Ruth & Edward Stanczak, 50

ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE, Toms River • Marife & Danilo Balingit, 40 • Mary & Carl Benson, 61 • Mary & Ronald Kirby, 65 • William & Bernadette Reed, 50 • Margaret & Charles Soffel, 53

ST. MONICA, Jackson • Elizabeth & Robert Lampasona, 51

ST. PETER, Point Pleasant Beach • Kathleen & Raymond Kaelin, 50

ST. PIO OF PIETRELCINA , Lavallette • Joyce & Bruno Hornung, 50

ST. PIUS X , Forked River • Cathie & Jerry Felitti, 25 • Mary & James Fitzsimmons, 50

ST. THERESA, Little Egg Harbor • Nancy Ann & Patsy Manganello, 50 • Patricia & Justin Peticolas, 50

Newly-lit Guadalupe torches begin month-long journey around Diocese

On Oct. 25 in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, people gathered to mark the beginning of the 2025 traveling torches in celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec. 12. The 23 torches – with representative names such as Apparition Torch and Tilma Torch – will be on display in parishes within and beyond the Diocese throughout the month of November.

The torch-lighting celebration included a Mass followed by a festive gathering of dancing, music and food. During the Mass, the chorus was accompanied by a mariachi band led by Yesenia Serrano Camargo, singer and dancer from St. Joseph Parish, Toms River. Her performance reflected the deep roots of Mexican culture and devotion to the Catholic faith and to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Msgr. Joseph Roldan, cathedral rector, and Father Marco Antonio Padilla Aguilar, who was visiting from the Diocese of Tlaxcala, Mexico, concelebrated the Mass. The two priests, along with diocesan staff, presented the 23 torches to begin the celebration.

The closing of this year’s Traveling Torch Celebration will be Dec. 7 in Lakewood, with a procession beginning at St. Mary of the Lake Church, and

A mariachi band led by Yesenia Serrano Camargo, singer and dancer from St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, along with the Cathedral choir, provided music for the Mass.

A torch captain enters into the Cathedral at the start of the Oct. 25 Mass.

Msgr. Roldan lights one of the torches that will be traveling to parishes around the Diocese.

The 23 newly-lit traveling torches and their captains gather on the steps of the Cathedral for a photo.

Mike Ehrmann photos

ending at the Holy Family Chapel on East County Line Road. The church and chapel are part of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.

‘Be Proud . . . Be Grateful . . . Be Brave’

Bishop shares loving, hopeful message with Catholic school students of the Diocese

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

The three simple words that the Bishop of Trenton uttered at the start of his homily for the 2025 Catholic Schools Mass captured the attention of those gathered in the best of ways.

“I love you,” Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., told the students, educators and others representing the Catholic schools in the Diocese. He added, “Today, we thank God for the gift of Catholic education and for each and every one of you.”

Celebrated Oct. 16 in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, this year’s annual Mass was once again a colorful and poignant showcase of the Catholic school experience.  Hundreds

of uniformed students stepped off buses that traveled from schools throughout the Diocese to take their places in the church. The choir and handbell ensemble from St. Catharine School, Spring Lake, set a sacred and joyful tone, and the procession of banners that students carried down the center aisle offered a moment of school pride and tradition.

Students from Sacred Heart School, Mount Holly; St. Mary of the Lakes School, Medford; Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Moorestown; St. Charles Borromeo School, Cinnaminson; Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Asbury Park, and Red Bank Catholic High School, Red Bank, participated as readers, altar servers and gift bearers. Joining the Bishop and students were more than 20 priests of the Diocese who concelebrated the Mass.

Students from St. Catharine School, Spring Lake, provided the music for this year’s Catholic Schools Mass. The choir is under the direction of Natalya Bencivenga. John Batkowski photo

Students in the handbell choir from St. Catharine School, Spring Lake, prepare to lead a song before the start of Mass.

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

Directing his homily to those gathered and thousands more students and educators watching the livestream in their schools, Bishop O’Connell offered words of hope and encouragement.

“We are saved by faith, not by our own doing,” he said, citing the Letter to the Romans. In it, the Bishop said, St. Paul “reminds us that we are made right with God not because we’re perfect or because we always get everything right, but because of our faith in Jesus.”

“That’s good news!” the Bishop said. “It means that even when we mess up, even when we feel small or unsure of ourselves, God’s love is bigger than our mistakes.”

 “God’s love is bigger than our mistakes.”

“God doesn’t grade us like a teacher,” the Bishop said. “He loves us unconditionally just as we are.”

He challenged the students to: “Be proud of your faith. Be grateful for your school and your good parents who make attending a Catholic school possible. Be brave in living the Gospel.”

“Let’s keep supporting schools that don’t just teach facts but form hearts. Schools that don’t just prepare you for college but prepare you for heaven,” he said.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

A highlight of this year’s gathering was the presentation of the inaugural diocesan Lumen Gentium Award, which was given to St. Paul School, Princeton.

According to the Department of Catholic Schools, the award – which will be presented annually – recognizes a “Catholic school that lives out its mission statement, shows high academic and personal growth and serves as a model of Christ’s Light to all nations and all people.”

Continued on 38

Students from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Asbury Park, participate in the Offertory procession. John Batkowski photo

A student receives Holy Communion from Father Kevin Hrycenko, parochial vicar of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford.

Bishop O’Connell processes in at the start of the annual Catholic Schools Mass. Accompanying the Bishop is Father Christopher Dayton, pastor of St. Paul Parish, Princeton.

Foundation for life

Kim Clauss, St. Paul School principal, and Shannon Rooney, vice principal, stepped forward to receive the award and be congratulated by Bishop O’Connell and diocesan officials.

Afterward, Clauss said, “To receive an award like this, you have to have a strong community. We receive such strong support from the parish community and our school community. Parents make a commitment when sending their children to Catholic schools. That commitment is found in all areas of our school life. Additionally, our teachers work tirelessly to provide an excellent education for our students. Everyone goes above and

EXPLORE MORE ONLINE

View photo galleries from this story and other diocesan events at trentonmonitor.smugmug.com.

Watch the video stream, event highlights and the winning video submission from St. Paul School on the Diocese of Trenton’s YouTube channel: youtube. com/@trentondiocese

To lend your support to the essential ministry of Catholic education in the Diocese of Trenton, visit leadinfaith.org

Students from St. Paul School, Burlington, carry their school banner in the procession before the start of Mass. John

beyond and it’s all for our children!”

DAY OF BLESSINGS

Four years ago, Donna White, principal of St. Catharine School, Spring Lake, asked diocesan school officials about opportunities for her students to serve as music ministers for the Mass.

“And here we are,” she said of the 60 students, that formed the handbell choir and song leaders.

To see her students perform that day nearly brought her to tears, she admitted. She expressed appreciation for the Catholic Schools Mass where students can see the Bishop and “hear how much he loves us, prays for us and supports the mission of our schools.”

Students, too, expressed appreciation

school by the diocesan Department of Catholic Schools.

for the Bishop’s messages.

First time attendee, Aubrie Bodino, a seventh grader in St. Benedict School, Holmdel, remarked that the Bishop taught students about their Catholic faith in a way that’s different from religion class at school.

Anna Hughes, a senior in Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, was inspired when Bishop O’Connell said that “God has a purpose for all of us.”

“I also thought seeing the other schools around us was meaningful because we all believe in the same things and are united with our faith,” she said.

Caitlin Patrick, also a Notre Dame High senior, was “beyond blessed” to see the other Catholic schools from around the Diocese.

“I am very grateful to my parents and my teachers for giving me the best education at Notre Dame. Because of them, I have been given amazing experiences just like the Mass today,” Patrick said. She added that her Catholic education “has instilled in me the values of Christ to live a faithful and righteous life every day.”

St. Jerome School, West Long Branch, students Margaret Hennelly, eighth grade, and Kaylee Widdis, seventh grade, both enjoyed the sense of being part of a bigger family.

“I was blessed to come today,” Widdis said, then added if she’s invited to attend again next year, she’ll be there.

Paa Ken-Kwofie, an eighth grader in St. Paul School, said he experienced a “special feeling” when the congregation recited the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father”) and sang the various hymns during the Mass.

It was about “all of us coming together to show our love for God,” he said.

Kim Clauss, principal of St. Paul School, Princeton, holds the Lumen Gentium Award that the school received at the Catholic Schools Mass. This year marked the first time the award was presented to the

Batkowski photo

Rosary

Faithful gather in prayer as parishes welcome Missionary Image of Our Lady

BY ELIZABETH ZIMAK  Correspondent

“How do we persevere against the evils we see being perpetrated in the world today?”

Dave Karbasian, of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, posed this question to his fellow parishioners on the evening of October 16.

In the next moment, he pulled a pair of Rosary beads from his pocket and held them up for the audience to see. “Our Blessed Lady gave us the answer right here.”

Nearly 200 individuals gathered in the church that night for “Mary, Full of Grace”, a prayer service and discussion in honor of Our Lady. The evening featured music from parish choir members, the praying of the Rosary and a homily delivered by Father Daniel Swift, pastor. Through original essays written by event organizers, attendees’ attention was directed to three Marian apparitions: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady’s involvement in the Battle of Lepanto in Europe, and Our Lady of Champion, Wisconsin.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, in particular, played a special role in the history of the Church, attendees were told. Mary’s request to St. Juan Diego that a church be built in her honor eventually led to the conversion of millions of people around the world – a number that is still rising today.

 “Many have had their faith restored or have witnessed miracles…”

‘PILGRIMS

OF FAITH’

These narratives led into the main feature of the evening: the appearance of one of four traveling Missionary Images of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which was loaned to the parish by Dan Lynch Apostolates of St. Albans, Vermont. The nonprofit organization works with local representatives – known as Guardians – to organize the visits of the Images to parishes throughout the country.

“These images are actual color and size replicas of the original Miraculous Image of Our Lady, which she left on St. Juan Diego’s tilma [in 1531],” St. Mary of

the Lakes parishioner Christine Walcek explained to the audience, citing information posted to Dan Lynch Apostolates’ website.

Walcek added that all four digitized images were blessed by Msgr. Diego Monroy, former rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and received an additional blessing from Pope St. John Paul II in 1999. The Pope had requested that the Images travel all across America, so that they might serve as “pilgrims of faith” and draw thousands to Catholicism.

Over the years, the Missionary Images have been displayed at churches and schools, as well as hospitals, prisons, abortion centers and nursing homes. Many have had their faith restored or have witnessed miracles in their own lives after venerating one of the images, the website reports.

PARISH VISITS

The Miraculous Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has made recent visits to several other parishes in the Diocese, including St. Denis Parish, Manasquan, and St. Rose Parish, Belmar.

Continued on 78

Choir members lead the congregation in song during the prayer service that had as its theme, “Mary, Full of Grace.” Elizabeth Zimak photos

Parishioners pray before the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Mary of the Lakes Church, Medford.

Bishop: Altar-Rosary members have sacred

call to be seekers of the face of God

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

Serving in a ministry that’s devoted to prayer, service and the beauty of the liturgy, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., said to those gathered at the Regional Altar-Rosary Mass in St. Ann Church, Browns Mills, that they have a sacred call to not merely be caretakers of the Church’s physical space but to serve as “cultivators of the soul, bearers of spiritual fruit and seekers of the face of God.”

The annual Mass, which this year marks its 21st, is traditionally held in October during the Month of the Rosary and is an occasion for the Rosarians hailing from Burlington, Mercer and Ocean Counties, to reflect on their devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and their ministry of service to their individual parishes.

The morning began with the Rosarians reciting the Rosary, followed by Mass with Bishop O’Connell as principal celebrant and homilist. Concelebrants including the priests from St. Ann Parish and Andrew Pham, parochial vicar, and St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown.

 “[The Lord] gives us the Spirit but he also expects fruit..”

At the start of Mass, Altar-Rosary representatives participated in the entrance procession with some placing flowers in the vases that were placed in the sanctuary. Two representatives carried baskets with the prayer intentions that were written by the participants

and another two carried a large life-sized Rosary. The day concluded with a reception during which the Rosarians had an opportunity to greet Bishop O’Connell.

Along with St. Ann Parish, Altar-Rosary representatives hailed from Sacred Heart, Trenton; Incarnation-St James, Ewing; St. Justin the Martyr, Toms River; Our Lady of Sorrow-St. Anthony, Hamilton; St. Raphael-Holy Angels, Hamilton; St. Anthony of Padua, Hightstown; St. Gregory the Great, Hamilton Square; St. Ann, Lawrenceville; Sacred Heart, Mount Holly; St. Isidore the Farmer, New Egypt; St. John, Lakehurst, and Mary Mother of the Church, Bordentown.

In his homily, the Bishop reflected on the poignancy of the Parable of the Fig tree in the day’s Gospel.

“The Church is the orchard. Each of us is a fig tree. And the Lord comes looking for fruit. Not just once, but again

and again,” the Bishop said. “He does not cut us down in haste. He gives us time. He gives us grace. He gives us the Spirit. But he also expects fruit.”

To the Altar-Rosary Society, whose members’ primary mission is to promote devotion to the Blessed Mother through prayer and organize various spiritual,

social and practical activities, which might include tending to the altar linens that are used for Mass, hosting drives to benefit those in need and other charitable endeavors, Bishop O’Connell said “let your service bear fruit, let your prayers bear fruit, let your lives bear fruit, not just in the beauty of the altar, but in the beauty of your hearts.”

“Let your concern be for the things of the Spirit. Let your longing be for the face of God. And let your repentance

be the soil in which holiness grows,” he said.

Denise Rodriguez, president of the Altar-Rosary Society in St. Ann Parish, Browns Mills, appreciated praying and networking with other Rosarians about their ministry.

“Through the Altar Rosary, I have met the most amazing women of faith,” she said. “How beautiful it is to unite Rosarians from the surrounding counties to honor our Lady!”

Bishop O’Connell was principal celebrant of the Mass for Regional Altar-Rosary Society members from parishes in Burlington, Mercer and Ocean Counties Oct. 25 in St. Ann Church, Browns Mills. Joining him at the altar were St. Ann Parish priests Divine Word Fathers Pierre Claver Lunimbu and Andrew Pham and Father Arian Wharff, parochial vicar of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown. Mike Ehrmann photos

At the reception following the Mass, Bishop O’Connell enjoyed mingling and taking photos with Altar-Rosary members. At left is Divine Word Father Pierre Claver Lunimbu, pastor of St. Ann Parish.

Joyce Marhefka of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton, places a flower in a vase before Mass.

Before the Mass, Rosarian representatives from the various parishes participated in a procession in honor of the Virgin Mary. Carrying the Rosary in this photo are Pat Colton and her daughter Teresa Heyer of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish, New Egypt.

On Oct. 11, parishioners from St. Mary Parish, Middletown, joined together in praying the Rosary, lifting heartfelt prayers for Our Lady’s intercession. Facebook photo

Rosary devotions unite parishes across the Diocese

Students from St. Joan of Arc School, Marlton, pray the Rosary on Oct. 7, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, asking the Blessed Mother for peace and protection. Facebook photo

Father Christopher Piccolo, pastor of Nativity Parish, Fair Haven, leads a Rosary Rally for peace in the nation and the world Oct. 19 on the parish grounds. Facebook photo

Throughout October – the Month of the Rosary – parish communities, schools and ministries across the Diocese of Trenton gathered in prayer, seeking the intercession of the Blessed Mother. Marking the Oct. 7 Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, many joined in special devotions and outdoor rallies, prayed the Living Rosary or offered Rosaries for Life and for peace throughout the world. Across the four counties of the Diocese, the faithful united their voices in a shared witness of hope and trust in Mary’s guidance and protection.

In honor of Respect Life Month and the Month of the Rosary, parishioners from St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, came together to pray the Rosary Oct. 11. Courtesy photo

Joined by Father Martin O’Reilly, pastor, parishioners from Mary, Mother of the Church Parish prayed the Rosary Oct. 11 in All Saints Chapel of St. Mary Church, Bordentown, for the unborn and for peace throughout the world. Facebook photo

Students from St. Charles Borromeo School, Cinnaminson, celebrate the school’s annual Living Rosary tradition Oct. 29 following Mass. Eighth graders led the school community, staff and parishioners in prayer. Facebook photo

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

Adriana Termini loves art.

It’s her favorite subject in school, she takes every opportunity to hone her skills with extra classes and she doesn’t “go anywhere without paper and something to draw with.”

Little did the first grader in St. Leo the Great School, Lincroft, expect that her artistic talent would garner her a national award. She was one of 22 youngsters from throughout the country whose artwork was selected a winner in the 2024-2025 annual Christmas Artwork Contest sponsored by the Missionary Childhood Association. She was recognized during the diocesan World Mission Sunday Mass celebrated Oct. 19 in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, and was presented with a certificate by Father Peter James Alindogan, diocesan director of missions and pastor of St. Veronica Parish, Howell. Her artwork will also be on display in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, during the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Adriana Termini’s Christmas drawing earns national honor

“Adriana has always shown great interest in art starting at a very young age,” said Adriana’s mother, Alexandra Termini.

Noting how “thrilled” she and her husband, Dominick were to learn about their daughter’s winning art entry, Termini said, “Every day Adriana is drawing pictures and challenging herself to learn to draw something new that she hasn’t done before. She never gives up and takes her time to perfect her drawings.”

Adriana’s Christmas drawing depicted a Nativity scene showing the Holy Family in a simple stable that’s surrounded by several animals. In the distance, the three Wise Men, are approaching from the East.

“I drew this picture after learning in kindergarten about the three Wise Men going to see Jesus in the manger after he was born and they were bringing gifts for him,” Adriana said. “They were following the bright star in the sky.”

Adriana’s teacher, Carrie Cisar, said the school faculty strives to instill in students that mission work is a call to “live our faith each day through prayer, love and service.”

“Students come to learn about the needs of children around the world and

how their own awareness and actions, can make a difference,” Cisar said.

Art teacher Nicole Lopusznick said Adriana’s drawing “beautifully portrays the greatest story of all time, the Birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Having a St. Leo the Great student recognized with a national award “not only reflects Adriana’s individual creativity and faith but also the spirit of love and faith we strive to nurture every day here at SLG,” Lopusznnick said.

The MCA Christmas Artwork Contest dates to 1916, when the MCA produced the first Catholic Christmas seals in America to raise awareness of and support for the evangelizing work of the church in the missions. MCA has used children’s artwork on these seals since 1933. In 2005, MCA then introduced Christmas cards featuring the winning artwork in its annual contest.

The MCA, one of four Pontifical Mission Societies, promotes mission and global awareness while encouraging children to share their faith through their prayers and generosity. Every year, the MCA invites children in Catholic schools and parishes throughout the nation to submit their Christmas-themed drawings for the contest.

Father Alindogan presents Adriana Termini with an award recognizing her artwork in the Missionary Childhood Association’s annual Christmas Artwork Contest. Mary Stadnyk photo

Adriana Termini’s winning entry

To view more photos visit

World Mission Sunday: Continuing Christ’s call to share the Good News

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

Just before the Ascension, when Jesus returned to his father in heaven, he commissioned his apostles to go out into the world and spread the Good News.

And to this day, it is the responsibility of all the baptized to carry on that “great commission of spreading the Gospel to all nations” as modern-day missionary disciples, Father Peter James Alindogan said during the diocesan World Mission Sunday Mass on Oct. 19.

Father Alindogan noted there are many ways people serve as missionaries. Some had left their homes to serve in foreign lands; others serve quietly in local communities; those like St. Francis Xavier and St. Teresa of Calcutta, who are known throughout the world, and those who are known only to God.

“World Mission Sunday is not only about them. It’s about all of us,” he said.

“God may not send us across oceans but he sends us into the everyday mission fields of our lives – our homes, our workplaces, our schools, our neighborhoods,” Father Alindogan said. “Each encounter is an opportunity to witness Christ, sometimes through words but often through compassion, patience and mercy.”

Father Alindogan, diocesan director of missions, was principal celebrant and homilist of the Mass in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold. He was joined at the altar by Father Habib Akpata, director of vocations of the American Province of the Society of African Missions, and other priests of the Diocese. Other missionaries in the congregation included Sylvia Allen of Sylvia’s Children, a Holmdel-based organization that provides outreach to children in Uganda; Sister Ifeoma Onwjdinjo, who hails from Nigeria and is a member of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, and Susan Wallace, director of Outreach to Haiti in the Diocese

MISSION AWARDS

Father Alindogan presented awards to Catholic school and parish religious education programs for having top donations to the missions. Go to: TrentonMonitor.com>SPECIAL PROJECTS>WEB EXTRAS for a list of winners.

of Norwich in Connecticut.

While reflecting on the day’s Gospel, Father Alindogan said its core message is about Jesus teaching “us to pray always and not lose heart.”

“But it also speaks to our missionary call to keep believing, loving and sharing our faith, even when the world seems indifferent,”

“When Jesus said, ‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,’ he gave his followers a mission that requires both prayer and perseverance. From that moment, the Church has never stopped going forth – proclaiming the Gospel, serving the poor, healing the sick and bringing Christ’s love to every corner of the world.”

Father Alindogan presents a second place award to three students from St. Jerome School, West Long Branch, one of the schools honored for top contributions to the missions for 2024-2025. Mary Stadnyk photos

Missionary representatives from left, Susan Wallace, Sister Ifeoma Onwudinjo and Sylvia Allen share conversation following the Mass.

During the Consecration, Father Alindogan is joined at the altar by concelebrants Father Habib Akpata, left, and Father Mark Nillo, right.

Garden State Revival: New take on a statewide Charismatic Conference

BY SHARON DELANEY  Correspondent

An inspiration that came to life at a charismatic conference in 2022 offered a new take on the classic New Jersey State Charismatic Conference, one of the oldest charismatic conferences in the country.

“Today is the beginning of something,” said Ramil Caragay, one of the speakers and organizers of the Garden State Revival Charismatic Conference, held in St. Mary Parish in Middletown.

On Oct. 18, more than 135 people attended the conference, which included speakers, worship music, and healing services. The day culminated in Mass and Eucharistic Adoration. The revival was presented by the Diocese of Trenton Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

“We’re here to taste and see, not just to study and learn,” said Dan DeMatte, keynote speaker, co-founder and executive director of Damascus, one of the fastest-growing youth and young adult ministry movements in the country. “There’s a renewal happening in the Church. The youth are getting it! They’re seeing Jesus in the Eucharist.”

As the fist-pumping faithful rose to their feet, DeMatte declared, “Praise

God, the youth are alive!”

“Outward signs are just signs,” said DeMatte. “Revival is about our hearts being pierced by the Holy Spirit, just like our Blessed Mother.”

“My prayer for you is that your heart is pierced with the Love of God,” he added.

LED BY THE SPIRIT

The inspiration for the Garden State Revival began in 2022. Caragay and his wife, Kipsy, both parishioners of Holy Innocents Parish in Neptune, were deep in prayer at a charismatic conference.

“Something happened,” said Ramil Caragay. “The Lord gave me a vision. I saw everyone in my family, my friends and the state of New Jersey, before the Blessed Sacrament. They were worshipping Jesus with everything they had.”

He said he heard the Lord speak to him. “He asked me to work every day to revive New Jersey … to help bring New Jersey back to him.”

“The same thoughts came to me in prayer,” added Kipsy Caragay. “We couldn’t do this alone. We knew Father Jeff Kegley from the regular healing Masses held in St. Mary, Mother of God Church in Middletown, so we shared this vision with him. It all started from there. The Lord gathered together a group of us,

and we began praying and planning.”

Michael Griggs of Holy Innocents Parish had been praying for good friends to walk in faith with him. He met the Caragays.

 “There’s a renewal happening in the Church.”

“We were all praying for the next steps in our faith lives. We were hearing the same thing in prayer. A large part was centered around the Eucharist and living in the Garden State — the fresh fruits of the Holy Spirit could bring us back to life and unity with God, like it was in the Garden of Eden,” he said.

Matt Ross, the Young Adult and Life Teen coordinator in St. Mary, added: “God brought us together, and the pieces fell into place. All our efforts are to help make disciples who will go out and impact others.”

INSPIRED BY YOUNG CATHOLICS

“This statewide revival is for everyone, young and old,” said Father Kegley, pastor of St. Mary, Mother of God

Keynoter Dan DeMatte speaks on the Church experiencing a renewed spirit among young people.

Garden State Revival participants join in a prayer experience. Robert Delaney photos

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A Catholic perspective on learning from history

AMID THE FRAY

Greg Erlandson, OSV News

Why do we want to learn about the dark times, the ugly times, in our country? It is a relevant question today, as museum displays and park exhibits are being censored for being unduly negative about shameful moments in American history.

The study of history is a path to self-knowledge if we learn not only our accomplishments but also our failings. To celebrate accomplishments is estimable. Yet, to think that we are without flaws is a childish fantasy. Worse, to not understand these flaws is dangerous, for we will be less able to resist such darkness when it arises again.

Timothy Egan has written a remarkable and timely book, “A Fever in the Heartland (Penguin Books),” about one of the darkest chapters of American history. His book chronicles the seemingly inexorable rise of the Ku Klux Klan across the country in the 1920s and the grip it had on city and state governments, starting in, of all places, Indiana.

This is a story of great relevance for Catholics, for we were one of the three groups most targeted by the Klan, along with Blacks and Jews.

The rebirth of the Klan after World War I was a Midwest and northern phenomenon. While Jim Crow laws reduced the southern Black population to near servitude again, in the north the racism was combined with a hatred of immigrants (often from Catholic countries) and Jews.

A female Klan member said of immigrants from southern Europe, “They are idiots, insane, diseased criminals,” Egan wrote. “Within a generation or two, she warned, white Protestants would be replaced by an inferior breed. The Jews were behind this plot.”

The Klan sprang up from California to Pennsylvania, but Egan focuses on Indi-

ana and the case of D.C. “Steve” Stephenson. He was the Harold Hill of hate and violence packaged as Christian patriotism. “I did not sell the Klan in Indiana on hatreds. I sold it on Americanism,” he said.

Egan said Stephenson had a “talent for bundling a set of grievances against immigrants, Jews, Roman Catholics, and Blacks.”

As he grew the organization, he grew his own wealth, and soon he had every major politician in Indiana in his grasp. Hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers – men, women and even children (the Ku Klux Kiddies) – were enrolled in the Klan.

By mid-1924, Egan wrote, “the blazing cross had become as much a part of life as the soda fountain and the barbershop pole” in American towns, as was the violence and intimidation of those people the Klan deemed inferior.

Aug. 8, 1925, may have been the high point of the Klan’s presence in this country, when 50,000 hooded marchers paraded in Washington while 200,000 onlookers cheered.

As Stephenson’s political power grew, so did his ambitions. He hoped to become president. He already owned the governor in Indiana, as well as many

Irish-born priest Father James E. Coyle, is shown in this undated photograph. According to published reports, Father Coyle was murdered in 1921 by the Ku Klux Klan after performing a marriage between a Puerto Rican Catholic and a recent Catholic convert. Public domain photo

other politicians. Stephenson learned one of the secrets of dictatorial power, Egan said. “If he said something often enough, no matter how untrue, people would believe it. Small lies were for the timid. The key to telling a big lie was to do it with conviction.”

Stephenson’s own vices brought him down, however. His violent lust ended up in the death of a young woman, Madge Oberholtzer, but her deathbed testimony ultimately convicted him, despite all the political power and bribes the Klan tried to bring to his defense.

Ultimately, this and other scandals, the violence and the corruption of the “invisible empire” led to the Klan’s collapse. Yet the laws they helped pass to limit immigration and harass racial and religious minorities continued to plague the country for decades.

Egan’s assessment of those perilous times: “Democracy was a fragile thing, stable and steady until it was broken and trampled.”

It is a lesson we would be wise to learn lest we be doomed to repeat it.

Greg Erlandson is an award-winning Catholic publisher, editor and journalist whose column appears monthly at OSV News.

‘Casting a wider net’ for kidney donation

BY FATHER J.C. GARRETT  Special Contributor

Perhaps you noticed the recent news story about the actor Jesse Eisenberg who is donating one of his kidneys next month (December 2025) to a stranger. If you did not notice the article, I sure did – see, I am one of the over 100,000 people living in the United States who are on the waiting list for a new kidney.

I am Father J.C. Garrett, a priest of the Diocese of Trenton since 2004, and I am currently in end-stage renal failure. In December 2022, I contracted a rare, but serious infection inside my heart. While the infection was defeated and the damage to my heart has been repaired, unfortunately the infection also shut down my kidneys. So in January 2023, at the age of 58 I had to retire from active ministry due to disability.

Father J.C. Garrett

While looking at me you would not think that I am disabled (unless you notice the bandage I have on my left forearm nearly all the time), however every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I spend 4 hours connected to a dialysis machine which literally drains out my blood, removing the toxins and extra fluid, and returns the blood through the “access point” in my left forearm. While dialysis is keeping me alive, it is not a pleasant experience. For hours after dialysis I suffer from cramps in my feet and legs, fatigue, headaches, and low blood pressure.

I am on the waiting list for a new kidney. Here in New Jersey the average waiting time for a new kidney is 5-7 years. It is important to understand that the waiting list is for a kidney from a cadaver, from someone who has died.

 Around 70% of people could be a living donor.

The other option is to find a living donor, like Mr. Eisenberg is going to be. I have checked with my family, but so far none of them are able – either they are not medically eligible or they are not compatible. So now I am “casting a wider net” by starting a social media campaign to promote awareness of kidney disease, and the chance to give the gift of life by becoming a living donor. Around 70% of people could be a living donor; it has little to no impact on the donor’s life, and the recipient’s insurance pays for pretty much everything.

The business card that accompanies this article has a QR code that will take you to a website I put together to tell “my story” and provide more information about kidney donation. I am asking people to first of all to pray for me and those 100,000

other Americans who are in need of a new kidney. I also ask that you become my ambassadors by sharing my story and business card on your social media pages. Finally I would ask you to consider registering to be tested to see if you could be a living donor; either directly for me or through the Paired Exchange program.

With a new kidney, I will hopefully be able to return to full time ministry serving the People of God in the Diocese of Trenton. Thank you.

Share the Joy this Christmas

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A gift subscription to The Monitor Magazine is a safe, affordable and convenient way to Share the Joy with your family and friends. Your gift recipient will be reminded of your kindness each month when their magazine arrives.

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 Order your gift subscriptions now and cross that off your Christmas to-do list.

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Service, Compassion and Presence

Convocation speakers inspire deacons to respond with listening hearts

BY EMMALEE ITALIA 

Contributing Editor

Permanent deacons may not always have the resources they want, but they always have the peace of Christ, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., told them during his homily at the Mass for the annual Deacon Convocation Oct. 17-18 in Princeton.

“You bring that peace into homes, hospitals and hearts. You proclaim the kingdom not just with words, but with your lives – through service, compassion and presence,” he told deacons and their wives gathered for the convocation at the Princeton Marriott in Forrestal Oct. 18.

“You often labor quietly, without fanfare,” Bishop O’Connell said. “Like Luke, you remain faithful, present, steadfast. And like Paul, you may sometimes feel deserted or overlooked. But hear Paul’s words: ‘The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.’ That is our anchor. Not recognition, but divine presence.”

FLOWING FROM THE HEART

Redemptorist Father James Dowds, keynote presenter for the convocation, has served in parishes, the military chaplaincy for both the U.S. Navy and Marines, and education ministries throughout his 40 years as a priest. His talks, peppered with personal anecdotes and practical spiritual suggestions, centered on the theme “Jesus, the Perfect Model of a Loving Servant,” and how the response of a servant-hearted deacon

must be daily renewed.

“The prospect of modeling our servant ministry has to flow from … being firmly anchored in the heart of Christ – otherwise we become mere functionaries,” Father Dowds said. “God calls us not once, but again and again; we are never finished … God is omnipresent in this moment we call now. The question is, are we awake? … It’s a gradual process in becoming who God has called us to be; in our Catholic tradition, we call this conversion.”

 “Listening is not passive. It’s hard work.”

He told the deacons that people are not always looking for advice or direction: “Sometimes they just need mercy. May the Lord Jesus continue to satisfy our hungry hearts so that we can be delicious food for others.”

Father Dowd emphasized that to be effective ministers of the Gospel, deacons must model Martha’s sister, Mary, and sit at the feet of Jesus to listen.

“Listening is not passive. It’s hard work,” he said. “There’s a line in the Rule of St. Benedict, and it says, ‘Listen with the ear of your heart.’ … We are like the ground that the seed is falling on – we want to be good soil … What a holy privilege it is to be good soil, for someone to try to find a place of refuge; how human and holy it is for us to be able to

get out of ourselves in order to become a conduit of grace for another.”

REGROUP AND RENEW

Deacon James Alessi, ordained in 2011 and ministering in Incarnation-St. James Parish, Ewing, said Father Dowd was “speaking on topics that are really relevant to me personally now, with my parents.” As the sole caretaker for elderly parents, he said he also appreciated how the convocation gave him the opportunity for fellowship and renewal. “I feel more relaxed now.”

“We need to strive to be the heart of Jesus,” was the takeaway for Deacon Gene Kotowski, serving as deacon since May 2022 in St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton. He said he enjoyed the fellowship with other deacons.

Deacon Moore Hank, deacon for the parishes of Hopewell Valley (St. James, Pennington; St. Alphonsus, Hopewell; and St. George, Titusville), pointed to a story Father Dowd told about holding a dying newborn, adding: “I really felt that – because how often are we [deacons] in those situations where we’re holding someone – a child, a baby, or an adult –walking with them.”

Deacon Ed Buecker, who serves in St. Dominic Parish, Brick, said, “This seminar is a wonderful chance to hear from someone who understands the work that we do, and how sometimes we get caught up in running from one place to another … [Father Jim] captured how heaven is here and now – we keep forgetting that – and how God is love and not fear… we just have to be reminded.”

Redemptorist Father James Dowds, the convocation’s keynoter, left, enjoys conversation with Msgr. Thomas Mullelly, episcopal vicar of Clergy and Consecrated Life.

Attendees

Bishop O’Connell preaches his homily during the Mass he celebrated for the diaconate convocation. Joe Moore photos

A wife of a deacon participates in the Presentation of the Gifts.

During breakfast Bishop O’Connell greets Deacon Robert and Barbara Vidal of St. Mary Parish, Barnegat.

spend time in discussion following one of the talks.

VOCATIONS VISITS FROM FATHER COLAVITO

During the month of October, Father Christopher Colavito has been visiting high schools around the Diocese where he meets with students to talk about vocations to the priesthood. On Oct. 23, he visited Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, and on Oct. 28, he visited Red Bank Catholic High School.

Father Colavito shared is own vocations story, in which he talked about his previous work experience and living independently prior to entering the seminary. Father Colavito was ordained a priest by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., in 2016. He currently serves as diocesan director of vocations and Catholic chaplain in The College of New Jersey, Ewing.

Red Bank Catholic High School students gather in St. James Church, Red Bank, for their meeting with Father Christopher

GREETINGS FROM MANALAPAN

Msgr. Peter Kochery had an opportunity to greet Pope Leo XIV during the Holy Father’s General Audience on Oct. 29 in St. Peter Square at the Vatican. Msgr. Kochery serves as a senior priest in St. Thomas More Parish, Manalapan. Courtesy photo

Father Colavito, left, poses for a photo with students From Christian Brothers Academy during his Oct. 23 visit to the Lincroft school. Staff photo

Colavito, shown left. Staff photo

Clergy News:

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has announced the following:

 Rev. Edmilson

Dias da Silva, priest of the Diocese of Lorena, Brazil, who has been serving as parochial vicar of Christ the King Parish, Long Branch, has been transferred from his home diocese and is now incardinated into the Diocese of Trenton, effective Oct. 8, 2025. He will continue his priestly ministry in Christ the King Parish.

Small group catechesis formation program underway

Aiming to provide an enhanced path toward catechist certification, the diocesan Department of Catechesis is launching “Together in Formation: Supportive Small Groups” – a collaborative approach to completing the theology component of certification.

Offered virtually from 7-8:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month, the initiative, which began Nov. 6, allows participants to earn a Certificate in Catechesis. Each session is $10; those who register for all eight sessions will receive a 50% discount.

The sessions, which use the Catechist Track from Franciscan at Home, are designed for catechists who have already started, or those who are just beginning, and offers not only learning, but also encouragement, connection and meaningful conversation with fellow catechists. The hybrid approach lets catechists explore video lessons on their own schedule, then gather virtually once a month for guided discussions led by a trained facilitator.

Upcoming session dates and topics are as follows: Dec. 4 – Christ, Person/Works; Jan. 8, 2026 – The Kerygma; Feb. 5 – The Church; March 5 – Intro to the Sacraments; March 26 – Liturgy and Catechesis; May 7 – Our Life in Christ; June 4 – The Last Four Things.

Participants are welcome to take all eight core workshops with us or select those that fit his or her schedule. To earn the Certificate in Catechesis, catechists must complete eight core workshops plus two electives of their choice.

Registration is available at dioceseoftrenton.org/together-in-formation

December collection for retired religious

to

help offset rising healthcare costs

Retired religious outnumber their wage-earning religious peers by nearly three to one – and like many in the United States, religious communities are facing sharply increasing eldercare costs.

To help offset the $56,600-$96,000 annual cost of care per retiree, the National Religious Retirement Office coordinates the annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection, which takes place in parishes this year Dec. 13-14.

In 2024, the appeal raised more than $28.1 million, which benefits more than 21,000 religious past the age of 70 in 266 religious communities. Of that appeal amount, the Diocese of Trenton contributed $288,895.09 to the collection. from which the Monastery of St. Clare in Chesterfield received a total of $72,664 in financial assistance.

The Retirement Fund for Religious collection began in 1988, as Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests neared retirement after the vocations boom that peaked in the mid-1960s. While elder care

was traditionally provided by younger members, vocations to religious life have declined rapidly, leaving fewer people to care for a growing aging population.

Receiving very little individual pay, hundreds of U.S. communities do not have adequate retirement savings; only 21 communities of the 471 providing data to the NRRO are adequately funded for retirement – which includes elder care that exceeds $1.1 billion each year. The typical Social Security benefit for a religious is just $9,090.

Proceeds from the Retirement Fund for Religious appeal largely help meet immediate eldercare needs as well as boosting savings for long-term retirement expenses. This is distributed as Direct Care Assistance, based on level of need and other specific criteria. Religious communities may apply for these funds annually.

Another way the collection helps is through NRRO consultations, giving both in-person and virtual presentations on a wide range of topics, including eldercare delivery and financial management. Qual-

ifying religious communities can apply for Management and Continuing Education Assistance, giving them funding for continuing education, management tools, facilitators for community-planning efforts and more.

“For decades, the faithful service of these religious has touched countless lives, including my own,” said NRRO director John Knutsen. “Supporting our aging religious is a profound opportunity to show gratitude for their lifetime of service,” he continued, “and we hear all throughout the year how deeply thankful they are for that support.”

For more information, visit retiredreligious.org.

Ministrare Non Ministrari

Father Varga recalled as living life of joy, patience, persistence

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

Paying tribute to Conventual Franciscan Father Paul Varga, Father Jobe Abbass remembered his friend as a man whose life and ministry reflected the Scripture passage from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans: “Be joyful in hope; patient in suffering, and persistent in prayer.”

“I believe Father Paul lived” those words, said Father Abbass. “They became a reality in his life; he followed those words to a tee.”

Father Varga, who was born in the Diocese of Trenton and served a significant portion of his 62 years of priesthood in Diocesan parishes staffed by the Conventual Franciscan friars, died Oct. 7 in Brick Township. He was 88.

Conventual Franciscan Father Michael Heine, minister provincial of Our Lady of the Angels Province, of which Father Varga was a member, celebrated the Oct. 10 Mass of Christian Burial in St. Peter Church, Point Pleasant Beach, the last parish where Father Varga served as parochial vicar. Along with Father Abbass, parochial vicar of St. Adalbert Parish, Elmhurst, N.Y., other concelebrants included several Conventual Franciscan confreres and Father Varga’s cousin, Msgr. Edward Arnister, pastor of St. Rose Parish, Belmar.

‘WALKING THE WALK’

In his homily, Father Abbass referenced the day’s Gospel story about the Road to Emmaus, in which two disciples

encountered the risen Jesus; he likened it to when “Father Paul recognized Jesus, who called him at an early age to religious life.”

“I also truly believe that in his last days of suffering, Father Paul recognized Jesus again on that road to Emmaus,” which “leads into eternity,” Father Abbass said. “I believe after all those years of being tied to the dialysis machine, Father Paul is now tied to that man he met along the way – Jesus – who is the fulfillment of his hope and is now leading him to the road of glory.”

 “Jesus ... called him at an early age to religious life.”

Father Varga was born in Trenton in December, 1936, to Stephen and Catherine Chmielweski Varga Jr. He and his siblings attended the parish grammar school at Holy Angels Parish (now St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish), Hamilton. He graduated from Trenton Catholic Boys High School in 1954, then attended St. Francis College Seminary, Staten Island, N.Y. He professed solemn vows as a Conventual Franciscan Oct. 11, 1960, while completing theological studies at St. Anthony-on-Hudson, Rensselaer, N.Y. He was ordained a priest May 25, 1963, by Bishop William A. Scully in Albany, N.Y.

Following his ordination, Father Varga served in the United States and Canada. In the Diocese of Trenton he served in St. Peter Parish, Riverside, 1990-1992; St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish, Spring Lake, 1992-1995; St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, 1995-1998; Immaculate Conception Parish (now part of Our Lady of the Angels Parish), Trenton, 1998-2000; and St. Peter Parish, Point Pleasant Beach, where he remained until about 13 years ago, when he moved to Crest Pointe Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, Point Pleasant.

At the end of the Funeral Mass, Msgr. Edward Arnister, center, leads the Final Commendation for his cousin, Father Varga. Mary Stadnyk photos

Conventual Franciscan Father Rick Riccioli, left, and Kathleen Varga, right, place the pall on Father Varga’s casket.

Father Paul Varga

At ‘pearl’ anniversary gala, Guild honors gems in their midst

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

Addressing the more than 200 people gathered for Mount Carmel Guild’s annual gala Oct. 24, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. extended appreciation to all who support its mission.

“May all of you be blessed for your generosity in giving time, talent and treasure that enable those in need to receive services,” Bishop O’Connell said. “I’m so happy and proud of this organization and the great work they do here in the Diocese of Trenton, Mercer County and beyond.”

The gala, which marked its 30th anniversary, is the inner-city Trenton agency’s main fundraiser with proceeds benefiting its Community Support and Home Health Nursing Programs.



“... we recommit to the hands and hearts of Christ in our community.”

The Community Support Program, started in 1921, provides food and other necessities, homelessness prevention services and short-term financial assistance when available. The Home Health Nursing Program, started in 1941, provides quality, long-term, home-based nursing care to patients 60 years of age and older with acute and chronic health conditions. Efforts are made to improve each patient’s well-being by increasing access to social services, preventing unplanned hospitalizations and premature placement in nursing homes.

During the gala individuals and businesses who have supported the Guild’s mission are also honored. This year’s award recipients were Terri Olexa;

Joe and Maureen Mutinsky; Mariyam Francis; the Social Concerns Ministry of St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square; Leo Stinson, and Princeton University’s Food Bank Express.

“As we enjoy and celebrate this evening of shared purpose, may we be reminded that the true beauty of a pearl lies in how it is formed through time, patience and grace under pressure,” said the Guild’s board president Jane Chrnelich. “So, too, has the Guild’s legacy been shaped by faith, perseverance and love given unconditionally by each and every one of you. We celebrate the Guild and the generosity of supporters, and we recommit to the hands and hearts of Christ in our community,” she said.

After receiving her award, Terri Olexa shared that her longtime involvement with the Guild started in St. James Parish, Pennington, where she contributed to the benefit food and toy drives. After she retired, she began volunteering at the Guild, which “has always impressed me

p Jane Chrnelich, chair of Mount Carmel Guild’s board of trustees, left; Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., center, and Daren Miller, executive director, are pictured with the 2025 honorees during the annual gala.

t Joe and Maureen Mutinsky, recipients of the Guild Appreciation Award, listen to the presentations at the dinner. Mary Stadnyk photos

by the fact that the resources that come into the Guild go out to the care receivers. I believe we are called to serve others. I have many blessings in my life, so I need to share what I can with others.”

Olexa finds it heartening to know that people who had been recipients of assistance returned to share their time and resources with the Guild as volunteers.

“I have met and worked with so many caring and kind people at the Guild; I consider it a blessing,” she said.

The Mutinskys, also from St. James Parish, initially assisted with the benefit food drives. Then Joe began using his construction background to help with the agency’s building issues, while Maureen helped with the Senior Grocery Day and Christmas and Easter holiday drives.

“We are so grateful that the Guild has chosen to recognize our contributions with the Guild Appreciation Award,” Maureen said. “We are truly honored and look forward to being a part of the Guild for years to come.”

DIOCESAN DATEBOOK

To learn more about these upcoming events in the Diocese of Trenton, visit TrentonMonitor.com and click on NEWS>DIOCESE

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THE DATE: STANDING TOGETHER FOR LIFE JAN. 23

Catholics and pro-life supporters are invited to the annual Standing Together for Life Mass and Expo planned for Jan. 23, 2026.

Life Expo

Hosted in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, 61 Georgia Road, Freehold, the event which has taken place annually since 2023 aims to provide an opportu nity for the diocesan community to stand in solidarity with those traveling to Washington, D.C., for the National March for Life. The day begins with Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., followed by Life Expo in the parish hall, offering interacting and engaging exhibits featuring life-affirming local organizations.

For more information and updates, visit dioceseoftrenton.org/standing-together-for-life.

DYC 2026 SLATED FEB. 7

The diocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry will hold the 2026 Diocesan Youth Conference Feb. 7 in Donovan Catholic High School, 711 Hooper Ave., Toms River.

Geared for teenagers in grades eight through 12, the daylong conference has “Power-Full” as its theme which is based on the Scripture passage from 1Cor 2:5 – “That your faith may not rest on human wisdom but on the power of God.”

Doors open at 9:30 a.m. with the conference starting at 10:15 and ending at 5 p.m. following the Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. The sharing of witness stories, engaging in service projects and music are among the day’s activities. The Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration will also be available.

Early registration fee is $25 or $35 for walk-ins. For more information, visit dioceseoftrenton.org/dyc.

Diocese to livestream Nov. 15 diaconate Mass of Ordination

When Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., ordains nine men as deacons Nov. 15, their Mass of Ordination, starting at 10 a.m. in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, will be livestreamed at youtube.com/trentondiocese.

The nine deacon candidates are: Anthony C. Cullen; James D. de Poortere; Chris I. Ellis, Jr.; Gerard (Gez) Ford; Errol Giordani; Steven A. Griggs; Christopher J. McNicholas; Jeffrey B. Miceli, and John Vitale.

Once ordained, the nine men will have the faculties to preach and to preside over weddings, Baptisms, wakes and committals. The men are all married with families and have various work experiences.

FATHER VARGA

Continued from 54

FOND RECOLLECTIONS

After describing their priest-cousin as being “a very holy man,” “a prayerful man” and a “true Franciscan,” Msgr. Arnister and his sister, Felician Sister Juanita Arnister, said they appreciated the support and prayers they received from their elder cousin as they pursued their own vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

“He joined his sufferings to

Christ. He never complained. He accepted the cross in his life,” Msgr. Arnister said.

Father Varga was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Joseph. He is survived by a sister, Kathleen; a brother, Michael; a niece and three nephews, as well as several grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Burial was in Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery, Trenton. Memorial donations may be made to the Franciscan Education Fund, 12300 Folly Quarter Rd., Ellicott City, Md., 20142.

PLANNING TO MOVE?

BishopDavidMOConne

Faith thrives in community, not isolation, Pope tells young adults

BY CINDY WOODEN  Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY • Pope Leo XIV encouraged an international group of young adults to reach out to their peers and invite them to be active members of a parish community rather than trying to live their faith alone.

The Pope met Oct. 31 with members of the International Youth Advisory Body, a group of 20 young adults from around the world who serve three-year terms as advisers to the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life. The North American members are Sally Yasmine from the Archdiocese of Montreal and Wyatt Olivas from the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Pope Leo had a prepared speech for the group but handed them a copy of the text rather than reading it.

“You know that in recent years many young people have approached the faith through social media, successful programs and popular online Christian witnesses,” the Pope wrote. “The danger is that a faith discovered online is limited to individual experiences, which may be intellectually and emotionally reassuring, but are never ‘embodied.’”

The danger, he wrote, is that those

spiritual experiences “remain ‘disembodied,’ detached from the ‘ecclesial body,’” which is the Church.

Another danger, he said, is that they are not lived “alongside others in real-life situations, relationships or sharing. All too often, social media algorithms merely create a sounding board for individuals, picking up on personal preferences and tastes, and ‘sending them back’ magnified and enriched with appealing proposals.”

In that kind of digital echo chamber, he said, “everyone remains alone with themselves, prisoners of their own inclinations and projections.”

Young people are essential members of the Church, the Pope said, especially a Church that is striving to be “synodal,” listening to all members, praying and discerning together and calling on each person to contribute their talents.

“Authentic synodality leads to mission,” the Pope wrote. And part of that is being involved so that the Church understands “how to bring the Gospel to everyone.”

“All of this requires that you, young people, have open hearts, ready to listen both to the ‘inspirations’ of the Spirit and the deep ‘aspirations’ of each person,” Pope Leo wrote.

MORE FROM POPE LEO ON

 Catholics must build a more humble Church, seeking truth together,

 The risen Christ brings joy, hope along life’s journey

“You must look beyond appearances in order to seek the true answers that give meaning to life. You must have hearts that are open to God’s call and not engrossed in your own plans and are willing to understand and sympathize before forming judgments.”

Pope Leo asked the young people particularly to help the Church “hear the voices of the weak, the poor and the lonely, refugees and those who struggle to integrate into society, or to access educational opportunities.”

“All too often,” he said, “these voices are drowned out by the noise of the powerful, the successful and those who live in ‘exclusive’ realities.”

Being missionary, the Pope wrote, “entails freedom from fear, because the Lord loves to call us to forge new paths. In this sense, as young people, you can be leaders of creativity and courage.”

Pope Leo XIV poses for a photo with members of the International Youth Advisory Body and staff of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, which the young people advise, in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Oct. 31, 2025. CNS photo/Vatican Media

After Hurricane Melissa ‘left a trail of heartbreak,’ faith and action bring healing

BY GINA CHRISTIAN  OSV News

In Jamaica, Hurricane Melissa “has left a trail of heartbreak across our beloved island,” said the Diocese of Montego Bay – and now parishes, schools and other communities throughout the Caribbean are seeking help as they begin the arduous task of rebuilding and healing after the deadly storm.

As of Nov. 4, a total of at least 75 were confirmed killed by the storm – 43 in Haiti, where even without landfall the storm’s fierce rain caused massive flooding and landslides; and 32 in Jamaica, where Melissa struck Oct. 28 as a Category 5 hurricane, with winds of 185 miles per hour. Official totals of the numbers killed by the storm are still being calculated as recovery efforts continue.

The hurricane ranked as the first of such intensity to directly hit Jamaica, sparking memories of 1988’s Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm.

According to the United Nations,

Hurricane Melissa impacted some 6 million in the Caribbean, with Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba the hardest hit.

Speaking Nov. 4, Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness said the hurricane had caused home and infrastructure damage equivalent to about one third of the nation’s 2024 gross domestic product.

 Hurricane Melissa impacted some 6 million in the Caribbean ...

In a Nov. 5 Facebook post, the Diocese of Montego Bay said that “from St. Ann to Westmoreland, families are struggling – churches have lost their roofs, classrooms are flooded, and communities of faith are gathering in the open air to pray for strength.”

Photos and video posted by the Diocese on its Facebook timeline in the wake of the storm show splintered trees, heavily damaged buildings and

At least 32 people in Jamaica have died since the hurricane made landfall there as a catastrophic Category 5 storm with 185 mph sustained winds Oct. 28.

flooded streets.

The church of St. Joseph Parish in Sav la Mar was completely razed by the hurricane, the parish reported in a Nov. 1 Facebook post.

Images included in the post showed a pile of rubble where the church once stood, with a few damaged pews remaining under the open sky.

“What once stood as a place of prayer, weddings, baptisms and community now lies in ruins – its walls gone, its roof torn away, its altar exposed to the sky,” said the parish in its post.

One clip uploaded by the Diocese of Montego Bay shows St. Mary Church and its school, located in Cambridge, with the roofs of both structures sheared off. Water pours across the grounds and adjacent road, coursing over downed power lines and broken branches.

Another Facebook post by the Diocese shows a raging torrent in front of St. Agnes Church in Chester Castle, as well as an image from inside the tiny church, the roof of which was completely ripped away by the storm.

The Compassionate Franciscan

People walk next to debris from buildings in Black River.

OSV

News photo/Raquel Cunha, Reuters

Camilla Powell 27, and her daughter, stand outside of their home in Alligator Pond, Jamaica, Oct. 29, 2025, after Hurricane Melissa swept through the area. OSV News

Sisters of the Poor – who operate a clinic and mission center in Montego Bay –sustained “considerable damage” to their convent, said the Diocese, which noted the building now lacks electricity, water and its roof.

However, said the Diocese, the sisters themselves “are safe and well,” and “send their thanks for everyone’s prayers.”

The Franciscan Friars of the Province of Guadalupe, who have communities serving in Jamaica and Cuba, reported on their website Oct. 29 that their members in both countries are safe, with electricity for their Havana friars now restored after an eight-hour outage.

Friars assigned to the western town of Negril, Jamaica, have collaborated with Mary, Gate of Heaven Parish there to post regular reports on Facebook regarding their pastoral visits after the storm.

On Oct. 30, the friars said they had witnessed “extensive damage” at St. Luke Parish in Little London, with two water tanks “blown off,” the gate “completely blocked” by storm debris, and a trailer that served as a clinic tossed sideways, with some images showing significant flooding.

The friars said they “continue to face challenges, with no electricity or internet access at the friary,” adding they “are

Satellite imagery shows Hurricane Melissa as a Category 5 storm as it moved north in the Caribbean Sea toward Jamaica and Cuba Oct. 27, 2025. The slowmoving hurricane had winds ranging from 175-185 mph, causing death and destruction in Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba.

running low on clean water.”

They said they had partnered with a nonprofit to feed Negril residents, adding, “We anticipate a significant increase in the number of people coming to the kitchen, expecting numbers similar to COVID times – around 400 to 500 people.”

But “even in this devastation, our faith stands firm,” said the Diocese of Montego Bay in Facebook post. “The Church remains – serving, comforting, and rebuilding in the name of Christ.”

 HOW TO HELP FAMILIES AFFECTED BY HURRICANE MELISSA

The Diocese of Montego Bay has launched the Hurricane Melissa Relief Fund, which can be accessed online at givesendgo.com/Jamaica, “to provide immediate food, water, and shelter – and to begin rebuilding homes, churches, and centers across Jamaica.”

The Franciscan Friars of the Province of Guadalupe have also launched a relief fund through their Franciscan Friars Charities, with donations accepted at give.franciscanrelieffund.org/page/157306/donate/1

Catholic Relief Services, the official overseas humanitarian and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has also established a fund to aid Hurricane Melissa victims in Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba, which can be accessed online at crs.org/ donate/hurricane-melissa

“Please join us in prayer and action,” the Diocese of Montego Bay wrote in an Oct. 28 Facebook post. “Let us rebuild with faith.”

destroyed church lies in ruins in Black River, Jamaica, Nov. 2, 2025, in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. OSV News photo/Raquel Cunha, Reuters

A

OSV News photoCIRA/NOAA/ Handout via Reuters

photo/Octavio Jones, Reuters

Migration, AI and health care directives on US bishops’ fall meeting agenda

BY GINA CHRISTIAN  OSV News

At their upcoming annual fall meeting, the nation’s Catholic bishops have a full agenda of both temporal and spiritual matters – including votes for key leadership roles as well as discussions on migration, health care directives, artificial intelligence, Eucharistic devotion and liturgical texts.



“Artificial intelligence – an issue prioritized by Pope Leo XIV – will also be treated at the assembly ...”

On Oct. 22, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced details regarding its 2025 fall plenary assembly, which will take place in Baltimore Nov. 10-13.

Opening the plenary will be Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, who will complete his three-year term as USCCB president upon the assembly’s conclusion. Cardinal Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to the U.S., will also address the gathering.

The USCCB will vote for a new president and vice president, who will commence their three-year terms Nov. 13, along with chairmen for six USCCB committees. They typically first serve one year as chairman-elect and will begin their three-year terms following next year’s fall plenary.

While the agenda has not yet been fully finalized and remains subject to change, the USCCB said in its press release that the public session will feature “discussion and response to the evolving situation impacting migrants

and refugees.”

Artificial intelligence – an issue prioritized by Pope Leo XIV – will also be treated at the assembly, with a public session presentation set to take place on “the ethical implications of AI, its growing impact on society, and the opportunities and challenges it presents to the life of the Church,” said the USCCB.

The bishops will also discuss and vote on a revised text of the “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services,” which guides Catholic health care facilities in the U.S.

Other items to be considered by

the bishops during the public sessions include a vote on the USCCB’s 2026 budget, and a vote to consecrate the U.S. to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 12, 2026, as the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Following a report from the National Eucharistic Revival initiative – a threeyear effort to rekindle devotion to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist – the bishops will vote on scheduling the next National Eucharistic Congress during the summer of 2029.

Two action items regarding liturgical texts from the USCCB’s Committee on Divine Worship will be discussed and voted upon.

Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News.

The Monitor will provide updated coverage on the US Bishops’ meeting on TrentonMonitor.com.

CARDINAL MCELROY DIAGNOSED WITH ‘NON-AGGRESSIVE’ CANCER, SCHEDULED FOR SURGERY

WASHINGTON • Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington has been diagnosed with cancer and will undergo surgery Nov. 13, the Archdiocese of Washington announced Nov. 5. In a statement, the archdiocese said the 71-year-old Cardinal has “well-differentiated liposarcoma, which is a non-aggressive cancer that tends not to metastasize.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, the term “liposarcoma” covers a group of “very rare cancers that begin in your fat cells,” typically originating in the arms, legs and midsection. Some 1 in 100,000 in the U.S. are affected each year by liposarcoma, which is usually found in men more than women, particularly men between the ages of 50 and 65.

The Cleveland Clinic notes these cancer cells “grow slowly and aren’t life-threaten-

ing.” Because well-differentiated liposarcoma is non-aggressive, “the Cardinal’s doctors are in consensus that his prognosis is very good,” said the Archdiocese.

According to the Archdiocese, Cardinal McElroy recently spoke to his priests, telling them, “I am at peace with this challenge and hope and believe that in God’s grace I will be Archbishop of Washington for many years to come.” He asked for the priests’ “prayers and support in these days,” adding that he planned “to resume full duties two weeks after the surgery.” –OSV News

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy

A drone view shows the U.S. Navy guidedmissile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64) docked at the port of Ponce, Puerto Rico, Nov. 4, 2025. OSV News photo/Ricardo Arduengo, Reuters

POPE LEO CALLS FOR DIALOGUE AS U.S. BUILDS UP MILITARY PRESENCE ON VENEZUELAN COAST

CARACAS, Venezuela • Pope Leo XIV is urging peace and dialogue in Venezuela amid growing U.S. military pressure and strained Church-State relations. Speaking Nov. 4 at Castel Gandolfo, the Pope said that while nations have a right to defense, “with violence, we don’t win,” the Pope said. “The important thing is to seek dialogue.”

His comments came as eight U.S. warships and thousands of troops patrol the Caribbean near Venezuela, part of a campaign Washington says targets drug trafficking and what it calls the “narco-regime” of President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro welcomed the Pope’s appeal, thanking him for defending peace.

But tensions inside Venezuela remain high: Catholic leaders have condemned political repression, corruption, and poverty. Cardinal Baltazar Porras said the country’s moral crisis deepens daily, with church leaders being mocked by the regime. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, recently awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, endorsed President Donald Trump’s actions, while the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, along with 61 other civil society organizations, for their part sent a letter to Congress Nov. 4 criticizing the Trump administration for its actions. –OSV News

NANCY PELOSI ANNOUNCES SHE WILL NOT SEEK REELECTION

WASHINGTON • Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Catholic and the first woman to be elected to that role, announced Nov. 6 that she will not seek re-election to Congress in 2026. The announcement by video message signals the end of a consequential congressional career for Pelosi, 85, who was given the title “Speaker Emerita” when she stepped down from a formal Democratic House leadership role three years ago.

Pelosi has represented her San Francisco district for nearly 40 years and led her party in the House for two decades from 2003-2023 through political shifts that saw Democrats in both the majority and minority in the Chamber. She became known for her fundraising prowess and her ability to bring together varied factions within her party to pass some of the Democrats’ major legislative goals, including 2010’s Affordable Care Act and 2021’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Pelosi’s Catholic faith is a frequent topic of the former speaker herself, even as she took public positions at odds with Catholic teaching, perhaps most notably on her advocacy for legal abortion. San Francisco’s Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone barred

Pelosi from receiving the Eucharist in that archdiocese in 2022, but she later received Communion during a papal Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Pelosi frequently discussed her Catholic faith in public remarks, often citing Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’” in her remarks about climate policy, Catholic social teachings on immigration and economic matters, or when invoking her city’s patron saint. –OSV News

SURVIVAL OF CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN NIGERIA DEPENDS ON SECURITY, JUSTICE, SAYS LOCAL BISHOP

WARSAW, Poland • Faith is a matter of life and death in northern Nigeria, said Bishop John Bogna Bakeni of Maiduguri. Speaking with OSV News during November’s observances for persecuted Christians, the bishop described life under constant threat from Boko Haram, Islamic State militants, and Fulani herdsmen.

“Every day is a grace,” he said.

Since 2009, violence has killed at least 185,000 people in Nigeria, including more than 125,000 Christians, according to human rights groups. Yet, Bishop Bakeni said the Church endures: Parishes are rebuilding, trauma centers are helping survivors, and the faithful continue to fill churches despite fear and loss.

The bishop thanked global Catholic charities and nations like Poland and the U.S. for their support, urging more action for justice and security. “When faith costs something, it becomes real,” he said. Aid to the Church in Need will highlight such suffering on Nov. 19 with its worldwide Red Wednesday campaign for persecuted Christians.

On Oct. 31, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would again designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom and threatened to suspend nonhumanitarian aid and take “action” if the Nigerian government did not act swiftly to protect Christians from extremist violence. –OSV News

For more on these stories and many other World & Nation articles, go to TrentonMonitor.com

Pope Francis greets then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during a private audience at the Vatican Oct. 9, 2021. OSV News photo/Vatican Media

In God’s Time

THE

WORD

Father Garry Koch

NOV. 2  THE PASSING OF TIME REFLECTS THE FRAILTY OF LIFE

Wis 3: 1-9; Rom 5: 5-11; Jn 6: 37-40

Nature itself reflects the cycles of life, and thus ancient peoples reflected during time of the year on the end of life, and developed rituals around death and the memory of those whom they had lost since the last autumn. The Church, focusing on the paschal mystery, reimagined the earlier cultural rituals as an opportunity to pray for the souls of the faithful departed. We experience the passing of time and of our loved ones with the “sure and certain hope” that as the spring follows the winter, new life follows the end of this mortal existence. We pray for the eternal salvation of all who have died, trusting always in bountiful God’s mercy and love.

NOV. 9  THE CHURCH STANDS AS A WITNESS TO THE TESTIMONY OF FAITH

Ez 47: 1-2, 8-9, 12; 1 Cor 3: 9C-11, 16-17; Jn 2: 13-22

Some will say that the Church is not about buildings but about people and they then shun the splendor of historic church architecture. As Jesus formed a community of believers the Church quickly adopted the language of Greek society, using the term ekklesia for itself and the work of the assembly being the leitourgia. The early Church endured persecution and remained largely on the fringes until the Emperor Constantine granted them legal status. The Basilica of St. John Lateran stands on the site of the first public church in Rome, a sign that the martyrdom of the prior generations

NOV. 16  THE END IS NEAR!

Mal 3: 19-20A; 2 Thes 3: 7-12; Lk 21: 5-19

Every age and generation comes to a crisis point when their view becomes apocalyptic and they focus on the end of things. This is not just true in religious circles, as secular historians similarly focus on the comings and goings of empires and civilizations. There is a natural cycle to history which fascinates us, frightens us, and seems so inevitable that there is no way to end it. Each generation has their own apocalyptic world view that impacts how they view themselves and their relationship with the world. The appearance of strange prophets and reading the Scriptures through the lens of modern geopolitics only heightens anxiety and creates false illusions.

NOV. 23  WE FIND OUR SUREST HOPE IN THE CRUCIFIED ONE

2 Sm 5: 1-3; Col 1: 12-20; Lk 23: 35-43

This Jubilee Year – Pilgrims of Hope – has been a time of grace and mercy for all. We are called to look to Christ Crucified on the Cross, as the sign of hope transforming a sinful world. The repentant thief helps us see hope in the midst of our own struggles and short-

comings. When we approach Christ in hope, we entrust ourselves to his mercy, even in the darkest of moments. For God is always with us sinners, and he loves us even to death on the Cross. Let us see in the repentant thief a model of confident hope in the Lord and, like him, let us call upon Jesus’ name and ask him to remember us in paradise.

NOV. 30  ADVENT PREPARES US FOR THE IMMANENT AND DISTANT COMING OF CHRIST

Is 2: 1-5; Rom 13-11-14; Mt 24: 37-44

Advent is our time of preparation for the coming of Christ, which calls us to be vigilant and active in our life of faith. While we observe Christmas as a celebration of the Incarnation, we await the fulfillment of the Kingdom. Over the two millennia since the Incarnation many have grown weary of the amount of time since the Birth of Jesus, and others have given up hope. Paul offers us direction as how to live in light of the coming age. Be watchful, be ready. Live for and in Christ Jesus. The life focused on Jesus has no concern for anything else. Paul reminds us that as we “put on Christ” we live in the hope of salvation, regardless how long it takes.

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

was indeed the “seed of the Church” as Tertullian foresaw.

The

gift of divine wisdom

is also a gift of tranquility

RTHINGS MY FATHER TAUGHT ME

Mary Morrell

ecently, I came into possession of an amazing, touching and quite large, framed print of the photo by Gregory Colbert entitled “boy reading to elephant.” When I saw it, I felt the weight of my world lifting, and a feeling of calm and happiness took its place. I smiled, and continue to smile whenever I walk into my office where it now hangs directly behind my desk. It’s funny how art or music or any of God’s creations can have that effect on us.

 Wisdom ... is a grace bestowed upon those who seek it from God.

I’ve always been fond of elephants, as was my mom. But it was dad who told me elephants were a symbol of wisdom, tranquility and love, especially of the bonds that should exist between family and within a community. How wise of God to create a world of creatures from whom we could learn important lessons about ourselves. And so, I named my new elephant Sophie – short for Sophia, which means wisdom.

In today’s world, marred by its relentless pace, competing voices and pervasive anxieties, tranquility, especial-

ly, often seem unattainable. But over the years, I’ve learned from those who have the gift of wisdom, that peace of heart and mind – tranquility – flows from that divine gift. It’s something you feel when you are in their presence; a peace that transcends mere circumstance, a peace that comes from a discerning heart that understands the true weight of things. This is wisdom not earned through the intellect alone but is a grace bestowed upon those who seek it from God.

When we receive this gift, the first and most tangible outcome is the ebbing of anxiety. Much of our unrest stems from uncertainty and a sense of being out of control. Wisdom, however, provides perspective. It helps us to discern the necessary from the noise, the essential from the trivial. It teaches us that while we cannot control every storm, we can control our response to it, grounded in an unwavering trust in God’s plan. This understanding acts as an anchor for the soul, providing stability even when the world is in flux.

Consider the nature of decision-making. A primary source of daily anxiety is the fear of making the wrong choice. It’s a fear I have long struggled with, and one that leads to procrastination. The gift of wisdom simplifies this process. It aligns our will with God’s will, clarifying our priorities and illuminating the path forward. Decisions are no longer paralyzing exercises in risk management but acts of faithful obedience. The result is a quiet confidence, the assurance that we are walking in the right direction, guided

by an infallible hand. This is not the absence of challenges, but the presence of peace as we work through them. Divine wisdom also fosters healthy relationships, another cornerstone of tranquility. It equips us with empathy, patience, and the ability to forgive, all of which seem to be in short stead today. It helps us see others not just as sources of conflict or comfort, but as fellow travelers deserving of grace. By cultivating a wise heart, we de-escalate tension, build bridges, and experience the profound peace that comes from dwelling in harmony with our neighbors. This internal peace radiates outward, transforming our homes and communities into havens of calm – a beautiful definition of home, but hard to create and maintain without God’s help. Ultimately, the tranquility that flows from divine wisdom is an internal state of being that the outside world cannot easily disrupt. It is the quiet assurance of purpose, the stability of a grounded perspective, and the balm of a forgiving heart. This profound peace is not a reward for a life perfectly lived, but a gift freely given to those who ask for it with sincerity and humility. In a loud and chaotic world, a wise heart is a peaceful heart, a tranquil sanctuary built upon the bedrock of eternal truth. Just remember the words of James: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (1:5).

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

Courtesy photo

Does vigorous marriage prep preclude annulments?

Q.I’ve noticed that in many flourishing Catholic communities with a lot of young adults (such as some Catholic university communities, or parishes with an active young adult ministry), marriage preparation programs often seem to go far beyond what you find in most parishes. I’m thinking of things like retreats, serious catechesis, good mentorship programs for engaged couples, etc. This had me wondering, would a couple who had this level of marriage preparation have a harder time getting an annulment if their marriage ever broke down? (Ohio)

A. The short answer is that it depends on the specifics of the case in question. It is possible that excellent marriage preparation could “work against” a couple seeking a declaration of nullity in some circumstances. But most of the time, it probably would not.

For background, it’s important to recall what a declaration of nullity is. As Catholics we believe that a valid, consummated, sacramental marriage bond is absolutely permanent and can only be ended by the death of one of the spouses. However, it is possible that there could have been some problem at the time of the union that was serious enough and of such a nature so as to have prevented a true marriage bond from being contracted in

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Jenna Marie Cooper OSV News

the first place. In technical language, these potential problems are called “grounds” for nullity. If a person thinks their failed marriage might actually have been invalid all along, they can approach a Catholic marriage tribunal as a “petitioner” for clarity on this. The tribunal will investigate the petitioner’s claims, looking for evidence that either proves or disproves the alleged ground or grounds in question. If the canon lawyer judges conclude that the marriage was in fact invalid, they will draft a formal sentence attesting to this. That is, they are issuing a declaration of the objective fact of nullity, not actively “annulling” a valid marriage.

Also important to remember is that the ability to contract a valid marriage is a fairly low bar to clear. Marriage is a natural part of human life, and thus something normal adults are presumed capable of contracting. The ability to marry does not require any special talent, virtue, theological insight or anything beyond an age-appropriate level of personal maturity.

Of course, one could certainly argue that a good marriage does require an unusual degree of virtue and a serious commitment to growth in holiness! But marriage tribunals are not concerned with whether a marriage was happy or even prudent; tribunals are only concerned with questions of bare-bones validity.

Good marriage preparation programs can foster healthy and holy marriages, and as such they are a valuable part of the Church’s pastoral ministry. And, serious marriage preparation can give an attentive pastor the opportunity to catch any major issues and perhaps urge the couple to postpone or reconsider the wedding.

But since true causes of marital nullity are relatively rare in the big picture and also somewhat extreme, for many grounds of nullity it’s unlikely that a good premarital preparation could have “fixed” the invalidating problem.

For example, some of the more common causes of invalidity in North America are psychological issues that impeded an individual’s ability to consent to marriage (See Canon 1095 of the Code of Canon Law). But even the best of sacramental preparation programs are not designed to heal serious psychological wounds.

Similarly, “error concerning the unity or the indissolubility or the sacramental dignity of marriage” is a ground for nullity (Canon 1099). Yet error requires a genuine ignorance about marriage being a permanent union that requires exclusive fidelity, and even poorly catechized Catholics are usually clear enough on these foundational basics in order to marry validly.

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.

We’re all called to help build the Kingdom of God

BY MARK RUSSONIELLO  Special Contributor

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that there are two priesthoods – very different but fundamentally united. Each honors and supports the other in the mission of building the Kingdom of God. We all can easily recognize the sacramental priesthood that includes the men who minister in parishes and diocese throughout the world. They wear special clothes that distinguish them from other roles in society, and the purpose they fulfill is unique to the faith community.

The second priesthood is called “the common priesthood of all the faithful” – that means you and me, all of us together. By virtue of our Baptisms, Catholics become participants in the three-fold mission of Jesus Christ as priest, prophet and king. Each of us is anointed with the same Sacred Chrism that is used in the Rite of Ordination of Priests. We share with the ordained priesthood a co-responsibility for the life, health and growth of the Church. Many of us choose to live out this co-responsibility by engaging in active ministry in our parish communities. Others take a more subtle, but still active, approach by publicly witnessing to their faith in their daily lives. The common priesthood can take many forms, each equally critical to our being the people of God.

F E

CA SA

the worship of God by evangelizing in our own particular circumstances. Evangelizing doesn’t mean that we constantly quote the Bible in ordinary conversation. We evangelize – share the Good News of our salvation through Jesus Christ – by the way we live. The title of the old hymn kind of says it all: “They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love.” Christ reigns over the Church and the world as King of the Universe. Parents “govern” their families by guiding their children to Christian maturity, assuring they learn virtues, values, manners and limits and intentional care for others. The Rite of Baptism reminds parents they are the first teachers of faith for their children. Baptism into the common priesthood obligates parents to foster a homelife centered on God, where prayer and worship are an ordinary part of the family’s daily activity, and where faith animates and enlivens all other family activities.

Haciendo que la fe se mantenga viva en tu familia EN Making Faith Come Alive for Your Family

Priests bless and make things holy. Priests call others and lead them in the worship of God. Each of us is called to the same mission in whatever circumstance or state of life we find ourselves. God’s grace, received and nourished through the Sacraments of the Church, fills our hearts with such love and joy that it should overflow into the world for all to see. Through our witness of joy and charity, others will see Christ in us, hopefully opening their hearts to want what they see in us.

your family’s ordinary routine. Pray together as a family at meals, the start and end of each day, on the way to and from family events and activities. Smartphone apps like Laudete, Hallow, Formed or The God Minute can be helpful.

Pray the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass along with the priest on the altar. Most parishes have missals in the pews that contain the Eucharistic Prayers. Instead of letting our minds wander as the priest offers sometimes unfamiliar and confusing words, read along, seek to better understand, and join in the sacrificial offer that is being made on our behalf.

Make time to attend Mass regularly and together as a family. Too often, being pulled in different directions by our children’s activities, families may need to split up when participating at Mass. Try at least once a month to schedule yourselves to participate in Mass all together, maybe going out for breakfast afterward to share thoughts on your experience of the Mass.

What does it mean for us to be part of the common priesthood? Priests are given God’s grace to “teach, govern, and sanctify (make holy).” As sharers in Christ’s priestly teaching mission, all of us are called to invite and lead others to

How can we live out our baptismal vocation to the common priesthood of all the faithful? Here are a few helpful hints:

Be sure that daily prayer and reading of Sacred Scripture are part of

Invite someone you know has not been to Mass in a while to join you and your family. This is a great way of exercising your priestly vocation by evangelizing and leading others to worship. It can be scary to step out of our comfort zones like this, so here is a website that may help you build confidence: www. catholicscomehome.org/invite-others-home.

Mark Russoniello is parish catechetical leader in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold.

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.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

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Town Center • 2 North Commerce Square, Robbinsville 609-259-0072 • dolceandclementes.com

Town Center • 2 North Commerce Square, Robbinsville 609-259-0072 • dolceandclementes.com

Thanksgiving Appetizers

Thanksgiving Appetizers

Holiday Antipasto or Mozzarella Caprese Platter

DINNER

Thanksgiving Appetizers

Holiday Antipasto or Mozzarella Caprese Platter

Serves 10-12 $75, 18-20 $105 HOUSE-MADE SPECIALTIES

Holiday Antipasto or Mozzarella Caprese Platter Serves 10-12 $75, 18-20 $105

Serves 10-12 $75, 18-20 $105 HOUSE-MADE SPECIALTIES

HOUSE-MADE SPECIALTIES

Homemade Pizza Rustica $18 lb. Prosciutto Bread $19

Homemade Pizza Rustica $18 lb. Prosciutto Bread $19

Homemade Pizza Rustica $18 lb. Prosciutto Bread $19

All Stuffed Breads: Eggplant Parm, Chicken Parm, Sausage Peppers & Onions, Spinach & Ricotta, Meatball Parm, Stromboli $18 each Crabmeat Stuffed Mushrooms $80 (20 pieces)

All Stuffed Breads: Eggplant Parm, Chicken Parm, Sausage Peppers & Onions, Spinach & Ricotta, Meatball Parm, Stromboli $18 each

Please

DINNER

Please place Thanksgiving Orders by Sunday, Nov. 24

Please place Thanksgiving Orders by Sunday, Nov. 24

DINNER PACKAGES

PACKAGES Proudly serving Bell & Evans organic Turkey

Please place Thanksgiving Orders by

Please place orders by Monday, Nov. 20

PACKAGES Proudly serving Bell & Evans organic Turkey

DINNER PACKAGES

Crabmeat Stuffed Mushrooms $80 (20 pieces)

All Stuffed Breads: Eggplant Parm, Chicken Parm, Sausage Peppers & Onions, Spinach & Ricotta, Meatball Parm, Stromboli $18 each Crabmeat Stuffed Mushrooms $80 (20 pieces)

Spinach & Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms $60 (20 pieces)

Spinach & Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms $60 (20 pieces) Rice Balls: Sicilian, Spinach, Cheese, 12 for $36

Spinach & Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms $60 (20 pieces)

½

Rice Balls: Sicilian, Spinach, Cheese, 12 for $36 Breads: Asiago Cheese, Cranberry-Walnut, Sour Dough $8 each A LA CARTE

Breads: Asiago Cheese, Cranberry-Walnut, Sour Dough $8 each A LA CARTE

Rice Balls: Sicilian, Spinach, Cheese, 12 for $36

Breads: Asiago Cheese, Cranberry-Walnut, Sour Dough $8 each A LA CARTE

Cooked 18-20 lb. Turkey, 2 qts Gravy $16499

½ tray Sliced Turkey Breast in gravy $7499

Cooked 18-20 lb. Turkey,

½ tray Holiday Maple Brown Sugar Glazed Sliced Boneless Ham $7499

½ tray Stuffed Pork $7499

Turkey Gravy $13 per qt. • Cranberry Mix $13 qt.

½ Tray Homemade Stuffing (Sausage, Veggies, Bread) $5999 ea.

½ Tray Homemade Stuffing (Sausage, Veggies, Bread) $5999 ea. ½ Tray Vegetable Stuffing $5499

Sautéed String Beans $5499 ea.

Potato, Sweet Potato Casserole $4499

½ Tray Penne Marinara $3999

½ Tray Vegetable Stuffing $5499 Sautéed String Beans $5499 ea. Mashed Yukon Gold Potato, Roasted Potato, Sweet Potato Casserole $4499

Mashed Yukon Gold Potato, Roasted Potato, Sweet Potato Casserole $4499

½ Tray Penne Marinara $3999

½ Tray Penne Vodka $4999 • ½ Tray Baked Ziti $5499 Desserts

½ Tray Penne Marinara $3999

½ Tray Penne Vodka $4999 • ½ Tray Baked Ziti $5499 Desserts

3 lb. Cookie Tray $34.99 • Cannoli Dip $1499

½ Tray Penne Vodka $4999 • ½ Tray Baked Ziti $5499 Desserts

Pies: Apple, Pumpkin $1599, Blueberry $1799 Pecan $2199 Mini Party Cannoli $55

3 lb. Cookie Tray $34.99 • Cannoli Dip $1499

3 lb. Cookie Tray $34.99 • Cannoli Dip $1499

Pies: Apple, Pumpkin $1599, Blueberry $1799 Pecan $2199

Pies: Apple, Pumpkin $1599, Blueberry $1799 Pecan $2199 Mini Party Cannoli $55

Assorted Pastry Platter, dozen, $ 30 (Cream Puff, Éclair, Sfogliatella, Napoleon)

Mini Party Cannoli $55

Assorted Pastry Platter, dozen, $ 30 (Cream Puff, Éclair, Sfogliatella, Napoleon)

Assorted Pastry Platter, dozen, $ 30 (Cream Puff, Éclair, Sfogliatella, Napoleon)

DINNER PACKAGES

Please place orders by Monday, Nov. 20

Bell & Evans organic Turkey

Bell & Evans organic Turkey

Add to your dinner package,½ trays: Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast $6599, Stuffed Roast Pork $5999 or Holiday Maple Brown

Add to your dinner package,½ trays: Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast, Stuffed Roast Pork or Holiday Maple Brown Sugar Glazed Sliced Boneless Ham, your choice, $69.99 each

Bell & Evans organic Turkey

Add to your dinner package,½ trays: Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast $6599, Stuffed Roast Pork $5999 or Holiday Maple Brown Sugar Glazed Sliced Boneless Ham $5499

Add to your dinner package,½ trays: Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast, Stuffed Roast Pork or Holiday Maple Brown Sugar Glazed Sliced Boneless Ham, your choice, $69.99 each

Package A

Sugar Glazed Sliced Boneless Ham $5499

Package A Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Stuffing, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Sweet Potato Casserole, Rolls

2 people: $5999

6 People: $15999

Package A Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Stuffing, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Sweet Potato Casserole, Rolls 2 people: $5999 6 People: $15999

Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Stuffing, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Sweet Potato Casserole, Rolls 2 people: $5999 6 People: $15999 12 people: $269 99 Package B

12 people: $269 99

Package A Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Stuffing, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Sweet Potato Casserole, Rolls 2 people: $5999 6 People: $15999

Add to your dinner package,½ trays: Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast, Stuffed Roast Pork or Holiday Maple Brown Sugar Glazed Sliced Boneless Ham, your choice, $69.99 each Package A Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Stuffing, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Sweet Potato Casserole, Rolls 2 people: $5999 6 People: $15999

Package B Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast* in Gravy, Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Rolls, Apple & Serves up to 12

Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy,, Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Rolls, Apple & Pumpkin Pies Serves up to 12 $29999

Package B Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy,, Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Rolls, Apple & Pumpkin Pies Serves up to 12 $29999

Package B Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast* in Gravy, Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Rolls, Apple & Pumpkin Pies Serves up to 12 $29999

Package B Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast* in Gravy, Stuffing, Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Rolls, Apple & Pumpkin Pies Serves up to 12 $29999

Package C Cooked Turkey 18-20 lb. or Full tray Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Homemade Stuffing, Stuffed Mushrooms (spinach & sausage), Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Gravy, Rolls, Apple pie, Pumpkin pie. Serves 15 $44999

Gluten Free Dinner Must pre-order by Nov. 20 1/4 tray Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Roasted Potatoes, Vegetable & Meat Bread Stuffing, Cranberry Mix, Bread. Serves 6 $19999 Must

Package C Cooked Turkey 18-20 lb. or Full tray Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Homemade Stuffing, Stuffed Mushrooms (spinach & sausage), Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Gravy, Rolls, Apple pie, Pumpkin pie. Serves 15 $44999 Gluten Free Dinner

Package C Cooked Turkey 18-20 lb., ½ tray Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Homemade Stuffing, Stuffed Mushrooms (spinach & sausage), Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Penne Vodka, Gravy, Rolls, Apple pie, Pumpkin pie. $39999 Gluten Free Dinner Must pre-order by Nov. 16 1/4 tray Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Roasted Potatoes, Vegetable & Meat Bread Stuffing, Cranberry Mix, Bread. Serves 6 $16999

Package C Cooked Turkey 18-20 lb., ½ tray Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Homemade Stuffing, Stuffed Mushrooms (spinach & sausage), Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Penne Vodka, Gravy, Rolls, Apple pie, Pumpkin pie. $39999 Gluten Free Dinner Must pre-order by Nov. 16 1/4 tray Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Roasted Potatoes, Vegetable

Package C Cooked Turkey 18-20 lb. or Full tray Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Homemade Stuffing, Stuffed Mushrooms (spinach & sausage), Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Mix, Vegetable Medley, Gravy, Rolls, Apple pie, Pumpkin pie. Serves 15 $44999

Gluten Free Dinner Must pre-order by Nov. 20 1/4 tray Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Roasted Potatoes, Vegetable & Meat Bread Stuffing, Cranberry Mix, Bread. Serves 6 $19999

up Wed. Nov. 26

by Nov. 20 1/4 tray Boneless Sliced Turkey Breast in Gravy, Roasted Potatoes, Vegetable & Meat Bread Stuffing, Cranberry Mix, Bread. Serves 6 $19999

Regular Hours: Nov. 29 to Dec. 30, Mon.-Sat. 9am-5 pm; Sun. to 3 pm Thanksgiving 8am-Noon, Christmas Eve 8am-3pm; New Year’s Eve 8am-4pm. Closed Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and January 2.

Nov. 29 to Dec. 30, Mon.-Sat. 9am-5 pm; Sun. to 3 pm Thanksgiving 8am-Noon, Christmas Eve 8am-3pm;

2.

Those receiving these cards will be enrolled in a Novena of Masses at the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square, Bethlehem, as noted on the inside of each Christmas Card.

Manalapan parishioner describes encounter with Pope Leo XIV as ‘an encouragement and blessing’

BY ELIZABETH ZIMAK  Correspondent

Giuseppe (Joe) Barone plans to remember Oct. 29 “for the rest of [his] life.”

A parishioner of St. Thomas More Parish, Manalapan, Barone –along with his wife Maria, daughter Sofia, and several others – were given the opportunity to attend a private audience with Pope Leo XIV while visiting Rome.

The group traveled to the Eternal City on behalf of L’Associazione Culturale Italiana di New York (ACINY), a nonprofit organization that seeks to incorporate Italian heritage and culture into local communities.

Barone explained that the trip was presented to the organization as thanks for their achievements in “building community, honoring faith, and preserving our shared cultural identity.”

“We approached it not as an honor to be claimed, but as a grace to be received – humbly, quietly, and with deep gratitude,” he added.

Following the Holy Father’s Wednesday General Audience, the group gathered outside St. Peter’s Basilica to await the arrival of the Pope. Although the meeting had been scheduled in advance, no one knew exactly what it would entail.

However, “when we were welcomed forward and realized that we would be receiving his blessing face-to-face, it was overwhelming in a very quiet and holy way,” Barone said.

Upon approaching the Holy

Father, Barone remarked that there was a “deep stillness” in the air. He described Pope Leo XIV as someone who “carries a gentle and humble spirit.”

“He does not need to speak loudly to be heard,” he said. “His presence itself is peaceful and comforting.”

After blessing the group, the Pope spoke to them for a few moments about “remaining faithful in the small, daily acts of love and patience,” Barone stated.

 “His presence itself is peaceful and comforting”

“[He told us that] God is close to us always, especially in the ordinary,” said Barone. “That message touched us deeply because it is something we can live every day, not just in Rome.”

The group then presented the Holy Father with a chalice, a gift from the organization itself. Attendee Marino Bartoletti gave the Pope a copy of a book he had written – La Storia del Calcio Azzurro in 50 Ritratti (The History of Italian Football in 50 Stories).

On behalf of his companions, Barone expressed immense gratitude for the experience.

“The encounter served as a moment of encouragement and blessing,” he said, “a reminder to continue the mission of nurturing community, supporting families and living the Gospel in everyday life.”

Giuseppe (Joe) Barone, wife Maria and daughter Sofia pose for a family shot in Rome while waiting to meet Pope Leo XIV.

Pope Leo XIV greets the Barone family Oct. 29 after his Wednesday General Audience. Courtesy photos

Marian Servants mark 10 years of leading people to Christ

The Marian Servants of the Holy Family celebrated a decade of service rooted in holiness, obedience and servitude during an anniversary Mass Oct. 11 in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square.

The organization is part of the nationwide Marian Servants of Divine Providence with a mission to bring Catholics to a deeper understanding of their vocation and mission in Christ, in the Church and in the world. Recognized as a public association of the faithful in the Diocese of Trenton by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., members guide people through spiritual direction and Ignatian-style Scripture meditation; help people prepare for consecration to Jesus through the Blessed Virgin Mary; run one-day retreats, and lead Holy Hours with Scripture meditation and worship music.

Father Michael McClane, pastor

Father Michael McClane, pastor of Holy Eucharist Parish, and members of the Marian Servants celebrate the organization’s 10th anniversary. Joe Moore photo

of Holy Eucharist Parish, Tabernacle, and the group’s spiritual moderator, delivered the day’s homily, stating, “We think of the countless people whom you have helped in visible ways, and those you have helped in secret invisible ways known only to God. Your prayers have calmed restless spirits, have inspired faith, and have brought comfort to wounded souls.”

Over the past 10 years, Marian Servants of the Holy Family have ministered in four parishes of the Diocese: St. Gregory the Great; Holy Eucharist, Tabernacle; St. Vincent de Paul, Yardville, and St. John, Lakehurst.

“We guide God’s people to healing,

freedom and purpose in Christ,” said Monica Cincotta, chapter director.

“Our mission is humble servanthood in Mary’s model – to serve others with great love.” Discovering the group a decade ago, she recalled “a real sense of unconditional love… they were solid in Church teachings, had a good sense of peace, and were all for the glory of God.”

She continued, “Whatever task he gives me, he will give me the tools I need to do that task in that moment. I have led a lot of groups in my life, but this is unique and is run by God’s grace.”

For more on this story, go to TrentonMonitor.com and type Marian Servants in the search bar.

Polar Plunge extends reach to religious ed programs

Hundreds of individuals will defy winter’s chilly grip to dash into the Atlantic Ocean at the Sea Bright Municipal Beach next Feb. 1, all in support of faith-based instruction. Timed to coincide with the upcoming National Catholic Schools Week this January, the frigid-yet-fun annual Polar Plunge for Catholic Education has raised some $2.5 million over the past 19 years, all thanks to generous donors and the assistance of Division 2 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians of Monmouth County.

Elementary and secondary schools which choose to participate in the event raise their own entrance fees and secure sponsors, explained Jim Shaw, plunge chairman and AOH member. The Irish Catholic organization raises about $5,000 each year to cover the plunge’s operating costs – such as event insurance, emergency medical and law enforcement personnel – to enable schools to use every dollar they collect for their physical, academic and enrichment projects. “Schools receive every penny they raise,” Shaw stated.

This 20th year, the plunge will take on an additional challenge: funds will be raised and distributed to religious education programs

of participating parishes, Shaw revealed. Why broaden the scope?

“I believe in Catholic education,” explained Shaw, who graduated from St. Ann School, Keansburg, and Mater Dei Prep, New Monmouth. “Catholic education was a family tradition for me and my six siblings. My parents thought it was important to instill those values.”

Rising costs for personnel and technological advancements and countless other increased expenditures have impacted educational opportunities in the Diocese of Trenton and throughout the state, Shaw continued.

“It is important we create the opportunity for funding religious education programs,” he said. “This way, we could create the opportunity to bring the money back home to the parishes… who could make the decisions on how to best utilize it.”

Sponsors can register through their Catholic schools and religious education programs Registration will also be available in person at the event until 12:15 p.m.

For further information, contact James Shaw at JNSIV1958@ gmail.com

Sacred music the focus of Nov. 22 Princeton

discussion with Cardinal Sarah, Peter Carter

Cardinal Robert Sarah, member of multiple dicasteries and pontifical councils and Cardinal-priest of St. Giovanni Bosco in via Tuscolana, will visit the Diocese of Trenton this month for several events open to the public.

On Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. the Aquinas Institute – Princeton University’s Catholic campus ministry – will host an event in the university chapel featuring Cardinal Sarah upon the release of his upcoming book, “The Song of the Lamb: Sacred Music and Heavenly Liturgy” (November 2025, Ignatius Press). The event will include conversation with Peter Carter, followed by a book signing.

Cardinal Sarah will celebrate 4:30 p.m. Mass Nov. 23 in the university chapel. After Mass, Cardinal Sarah will lead Princeton students and community members in a Eucharistic procession throughout campus for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.

The events are co-sponsored by The Aquinas Institute and the Catholic Sacred Music Project. Registration is required for the book signing at princetoncatholic.org/lecture/lecture-sacred-music-and-the-heavenly-liturgy/.

Peter Carter is the founder and

Cardinal Robert Sarah and Peter Carter will discuss their co-authored book on sacred music Nov. 22 in Princeton’s university chapel.

director of the Catholic Sacred Music Project and director of sacred music at the Aquinas Institute. The CSMP was founded in 2021 to provide spiritual and musical formation for Catholic musicians to bring about a widespread renewal of sacred music in the Church.

Cardinal Sarah is the former Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and author of numerous books including “The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise,” “God or Nothing:

A Conversation on Faith,” and “The Day is Now Far Spent.” Born in Guinea to Christian convert parents, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1969, and earned a licentiate in theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and a licentiate in Scripture at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem.

For more information on Cardinal Sarah, visit collegeofcardinalsreport. com/cardinals/robert-sarah/.

Courtesy photo

Collaboration among agencies highlighted at Interfaith Caregivers’ gala

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

When organizations work together for the common good, it is about much more than just reaching a goal.

Collaboration “means advancing a shared moral vision,” said Daren Miller, executive director of Mount Carmel Guild, Trenton. “No single organization can meet every need, but together we can create a continuum of compassion that uplifts the whole person.”

Miller shared some thoughts when the Guild received a Shining Lights award Oct. 8 during the Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County’s annual gala. The ICGMC honored Mount Carmel Guild and Incarnation-St. James Parish, Ewing.

Lauri Harbison, ICGMC’s executive director, noted that her organization and Mount Carmel Guild have partnered in identifying needs, making referrals and providing care during the majority of ICGMC’s 31-year history. The Guild also has supported ICGMC around the Thanksgiving holidays by providing food to be given to food-insecure people who receive care.

Harbison also said that for more than 10 years, Incarnation-St. James parishioners have volunteered with

Trinitarian Father Stan DeBoe, pastor of Incarnation-St. James Parish, Ewing, and the core of parishioners who volunteer with Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County, pose for a photo after receiving a Shining Lights Award at the gala. Courtesy photo

ICGMC’s Neighbors Helping Neighbors program. They have assisted more than 175 care receivers with tasks such as transportation to medical appointments and helping with grocery shopping and respite care. She added that Incarnation-St. James parishioners have “provided more than 16,000 hours of care and compassion to our local community.”

“Mount Carmel Guild and Incarnation-St. James are two outstanding examples of working together to serve our local community better,” Harbison said.

“Our collaboration with congregations and other agencies results in a pooling of strengths, dedication and resources that magnifies the benefit provided by any individual effort.”

Miller and Trinitarian Father Stan

DeBoe, pastor of Incarnation-St. James, said they were humbled by the ICGMC recognition.

“It reaffirmed that our quiet, behindthe-scenes work is part of a larger story of community resilience,” Miller said. “Mount Carmel Guild and Interfaith Caregivers represent the best of what happens when compassion is organized.”

“As we both look to the future, the Guild remains committed to building on this partnership to reach even more seniors, strengthen neighborhood networks, and continue showing that love of neighbor, when lived out in action, truly changes lives,” Miller said.

Father DeBoe reflected on the spiritual and corporal works of mercy and how the Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to them “not only acts of charity but also as acts of justice, grounded in God’s love for the poor.”

“The work of ICGMC embodies these lessons,” Father DeBoe said.

“It is the volunteers, our parishioners and all who serve with Interfaith Caregivers, who hear that cry and cross the borders of comfort to meet those needs. Sometimes they bring practical help. Sometimes they simply sit and listen. But in every case they bring the healing presence of Christ,” Father DeBoe said. “With every simple act of loving kindness, they help fulfill Jesus’ desire to make all things new.”

Lauri Harbison, executive director of Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County, left, and Maureen Cozzi, chair of the agency’s board, right, pose for a photo with Mount Carmel Guild’s Mary Inkrot, former executive director, and Daren Miller, current executive director. Courtesy photo

St. Joseph faithful to commemorate Our Lady of Kibeho feast day

BY CHRISTINA LESLIE  Correspondent

Members of St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, are again highlighting the faithfilled message that was shared by the Blessed Mother nearly 45

years ago in a small village in Rwanda.

Under the title of Our Lady of Kibeho, whose feast day arrives on Nov. 28, the Blessed Mother appeared to three young schoolgirls in a series of apparitions beginning in 1981, urging the faithful to pray the Rosary and forewarning of the 1994 genocide in the African nation. The feast of Our Lady of Kibeho marks the only Vatican-approved Marian apparition on the continent of Africa.

St. Joseph Parish will commemorate the Marian feast with a procession of flowers at 8:45 a.m. followed by Mass at 9 a.m. in St. Joseph Church. Father Scott Shaffer, pastor, will serve as principal celebrant and will be joined by homilist and speaker Father Dean Gaudio, parochial vicar in St. Theresa Parish, Little Egg Harbor. Following the liturgy, attendees will pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.

Diane Worthy, a St. Joseph parishioner and member of its Totus Tous ministry, explained that this year’s observation of the feast day builds upon

the 2023 visit to the Diocese of Trenton by Immaculée Ilibagiza of Rwanda, author of “Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.” During Ilibagiza’s visit, Father Shaffer blessed a painting depicting the image of Our Lady of Kibeho. A sculptor also created a replica of a statue of Our Lady, and both are present in the church.

 “A seed of humility continues to grow ...”

“Immaculée spoke about the importance of praying the Rosary and believed it was prayer that helped protect her life during the Rwandan genocide,” said Worthy. “Immaculee has planted a seed of humility at St. Joseph, a seed that continues to grow and affirms the value of prayer.” Worthy continued, “When prayed with sincerity, the Rosary of the Seven

Continued on 78

An artist’s rendition of the Church-approved image of Our Lady of Kibeho in St. Joseph Church. Courtesy photo

Immaculée Ilibagiza speaks to some 300 attendees during a November 2023 visit to St. Joseph Church, Toms River, who came to hear her story and pray with her to Our Lady of Kibeho. Courtesy photo

Hamilton parish mission speaker points to Jesus’ ‘radiant mercy’

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

“Where do you stand in relation to the crucified?”

This question posed by Dominican Father Bill Garrott of those gathered in St. Anthony Church, Hamilton, kicked off his Oct. 7 talk, part of a three-night mission for parishes in the Hamilton area.

“Do you stand with the beloved disciple? Are you there with the Blessed Mother, with Mary Magdalene?” he continued. “Where are you standing, given what is going on in your life right now?”

As St. Anthony Church is one of the designated pilgrimage sites in the Diocese for the Jubilee Year of Hope, attending the retreat provided an opportunity to receive an indulgence, if the usual conditions were fulfilled; priests remained after the talk for attendees to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

To set the tone for the evening, Father Garrott made available for veneration a relic of St. John Paul II, while he led those in attendance in praying the Rosary.

WE SUFFER, WE SIN, WE FORGIVE

Focusing his talk on suffering, sin and forgiveness, Father Garrott alternat-

ed among keyboard, guitar and speaking; his blend of music, humor and frank openness about the challenge of facing one’s weaknesses drew laughter and sighs from the crowded pews.

“God decided to step into our suffering – not to remove it, but to fill it with his presence,” Father Garrott said to the congregation composed of the Lumen Christi Cohort parishes of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony and St. Raphael-Holy Angels, both Hamilton, and St. Gregory the Great, Hamilton Square. “He took our human nature upon himself and experienced the utter depravity and depth of suffering.”

Knowing that truth, he continued, “can you imagine standing next to the Blessed Virgin Mary at the foot of the Cross, and turning to her and saying, ‘He doesn’t know what I’m going through?’”

Father Garrott gave multiple examples of how only God can bring good out of suffering and evil – including Louis Braille, who, after an accident as a child that left him blind, later invented the raised alphabet for the blind that bears his name; and Eric Clapton, whose young son died in an accident, bringing about a conversion for Clapton, who opened clinics to help those suffering from addictions.

On the matter of sin, Father Garrott likened Jesus to the light that illumi-

nates the dark corners of a restaurant at night’s end, so that the room can be cleaned.

“When we stand at the foot of the Cross, there is a radiant mercy that illuminates the dirt,” he said. “The Lord … wants to deal with it … so that we see the darkness therein and present it to him.”

 “[Jesus] has the antivenom, which is the Eucharist.”

He also compared Jesus to the sheep that are injected with snake venom in order to form antibodies, which produce life-saving anti-venom.

“The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world allowed himself to be stung by the venom of the ancient serpent, the devil,” Father Garrott continued, “and to undergo all the venom of the human race, and it brought him to death. But because he is the Lamb of God … he rises victorious, and now he has the anti-venom, which is the Eucharist.”

That remedy to forgive sins, “the Lord expects us to share. ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ What was Jesus feeling when he said

Continued on 78

Msgr. Thomas Gervasio, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, prays with a participant during the parish mission.

Dominican Father Bill Garrott speaks about suffering and God’s mercy Oct. 7 during the parish mission in St. Anthony Church, Hamilton. EmmaLee Italia photos

Clean-up and restoration underway as Lakewood parish works to recover from fire

BY RAYANNE BENNETT  Associate Publisher

The large, multicultural parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Lakewood is just over five years old, but its roots run deep in the area. Created in 2020 through the merger of St. Mary of the Lake Parish and St. Anthony Claret Parish – and wrapping in the Holy Family School and Church campus – Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish is now 5,000 families strong, many of whom are members of the area’s long-standing Hispanic and Polish communities.

Lakewood’s Catholic history dates back to the late 1800s, throughout which the faith community weathered storms and responded to the challenges of its time. But nothing in its past prepared Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish for the crisis that unfolded Oct. 3 when a fire broke out in the Holy Family school building, causing major damage and disruption and leaving parts of the building beyond repair.

 “They noted an ambitious timeline, with the classroom wing ready for operations before Christmas.”

Just over a month later, the parish has seen some areas of progress, but the road ahead is expected to be long and difficult.

DAMAGE AND DISRUPTION

Holy Family School on East County Line Road closed as a Catholic elementary school in 2015. The building is owned by the parish (and was under lease by the Lakewood Board of Education until June 30, 2026; it was the site of the district’s Piner Elementary School

until a few months ago.)

The school has also been used most weeknights for adult programs, community services and, most significantly, parish religious education classes. According to information on the parish’s social media site, the religious education program, which serves 700 children, was set to reconvene Nov. 10 for the first time since the fire. Classes were to be held in Holy Family Church, the least impacted structure on the campus.

The parish also rented space to the local Polish school, a cultural group that held classes one night each week. The Polish school was occupying the building

when the fire broke out and people had to be evacuated, according to parish leaders. No injuries were reported.

ROAD AHEAD

As of Nov. 10, diocesan officials report that the insurance estimate for property damage, clean-up, reconstruction and interruption of services is $15 million. They noted an ambitious timeline, with the classroom wing ready for operations before Christmas. Reconstruction of the gym and cafeteria is expected to take longer, but the long-term goal is to finish by the end of the summer.

Continued on 87

Sections of the former Holy Family School in Lakewood suffered extensive damage in the Oct. 3 fire. Costs are estimated at $15 million and clean-up and restoration are underway. According to parish leaders, the use of Holy Family Church has resumed. Officials are looking to the completion of the classroom wing before Christmas. Photo courtesy of Our Lady of

Guadalupe Parish

Bringing Children to Christ

Diocesan PTA Council celebrates century of mission for Catholic schools

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

In the 100 years since the Trenton Diocesan Council of the Parent-Teacher Association was formally established, its membership has seen sweeping changes in culture, technology and the practice of the faith, all profoundly impacting the Catholic school experience.

What has never changed, however, is the Council’s core mission – to provide a bridge between school parents and educators, and to be a support for the ministry of Catholic education in the Diocese.

While the origins of the Diocesan Council can be traced back to 1920, the group was formally established in 1925 by Bishop Thomas J. Walsh. The Diocese encompassed 14 New Jersey counties at that time, and the number of PTA members had reached 2,325. The group was involved with public welfare, education, home service and health.

Twenty-five years later, after the again-divided Diocese covered eight counties, the reach of the PTA continued to build. There was a PTA unit in

nearly every Catholic school, as well as regional groups for every county. Throughout the years, the Diocesan Council has worked to advance the schools through an array of efforts including funding professional development and leadership training for educators, as well as tuition scholarship contests for students.

 “This is ... a testament to faith in action.”

CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION

This distinguished legacy of unwavering support, which has earned multiple accolades from the National Catholic Education Association, was celebrated during a recent gathering of school leaders, educators and PTA members. Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., along

with several priests of the Diocese, celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving on Oct. 11 in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold.

“One hundred years of partnership of prayer, of perseverance. One hundred years of parents and teachers walking hand in hand to nurture not only minds, but hearts and souls,” Bishop O’Connell said in his homily. “This is not merely an anniversary, it is a testament to faith in action.”

Bishop O’Connell lauded the PTA, saying, “What began as a modest effort to support Catholic education has blossomed into a century-long mission of forming young disciples, strengthening families and building schools rooted in Gospel values,” he said.

He reminded the congregation that “the heart of Catholic education” is to bring children to Christ and “not just through textbooks and tests but through witness, compassion and community.”

“Parents, you are the first teachers of your children in the ways of faith” and “teachers, you are the stewards of their in-

To read the history of the Diocesan PTA Council and for students’ winning essays, go to TrentonMonitor.com and click on SPECIAL PROJECTS>WEB EXTRAS.

tellectual and spiritual growth. Together, you form a sacred alliance,” the Bishop said. “The PTA has been the bridge between these two vocations, ensuring that our schools are not just places of learning but sanctuaries of love.”

THE PTA TODAY

Jessica Jarmer, PTA president, said it’s the Diocesan PTA’s mission “to support, strengthen and bring together the parent-teacher partnerships in all of our Catholic schools.”

“While many PTAs serve only a single school, our diocesan PTA has always stood together as one family, uniting more than 30 schools in a shared purpose,” she said. “This collective spirit has allowed us to accomplish what no one school could achieve alone.”

She noted that all but one school in the Diocese has a PTA and that the one without is in the process of creating one.

Dr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt, diocesan superintendent of schools, commended the council for its ongoing work and how “over the last 100 years,

pDr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt, superintendent of Catholic schools, and Jessica Jarmer, president of the Diocesan PTA Council, carry the gifts of bread and wine during the Offertory Procession.

t The parish hall in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral was decorated for the celebratory breakfast meeting. Mary Stadnyk photos

Dr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt, left, diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools, poses for a photo with the student winners of the essay contest sponsored by the Diocesan Council of Parent Teacher Associations.

Conference urges student-athletes to go ‘All In’ on faith

BY ROSE O’CONNOR  Digital, Social Media Manager

In the context of sports, going “all in” means to be fully committed to your goal, giving maximum effort and leaving everything on the field.

But for members of Catholic Athletes for Christ in the Diocese of Trenton, living “all in” takes on the special meaning of giving everything back to the One who gave it all first. It is an encouragement for the student-athletes to put their hearts, faith and talents fully into God’s hands.

That was the overriding theme Oct. 7 when more than 125 students gathered on the campus of St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, for the annual diocesan CAC Conference. Filling the large meeting space with energy and enthusiasm, the students represented Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, Donovan Catholic High School in Toms River, Holy Cross Preparatory Academy in Delran, Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, St. John Vianney High School in Holmdel, St. Rose High School in Belmar, and two elementary schools – St. James in Red Bank

and St. Benedict in Holmdel.

THE FAITH-LIFE CONNECTION

From the keynote speaker to the celebration of Mass, the day invited the students to bring their faith into every aspect of their lives, including their athletic activities. Gian Paul Gonzalez, a former NCAA All-American and nationally known motivational speaker, gained fame for inspiring the New York Giants to their 2012 Super Bowl victory with his “All In” message. He reminded the students that “All In” is not just a slogan, but a lifestyle.

Gonzalez, who turned down professional basketball opportunities to work with at-risk youth, challenged the students to commit every part of their lives — on and off the field — to God.

“Going all in means being fully present for what God calls you to,” he said. “It’s giving your all, even when no one is watching.”

Father Garry Koch, pastor of St. Benedict Parish, celebrated the Mass marking the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. In his homily, Father Koch drew a connection between Mary’s “yes” to God and the keynote theme of the day.

“Mary’s fiat is really the equivalent to what we heard this morning,” he said. “Going all in takes a great deal of trust to live out a life of faith each and every day.”

TEAMWORK BRINGS RESULTS

Since its founding in 2015, Catholic Athletes for Christ in the Diocese of Trenton has continued to unite Catholic leaders and student-athletes in faith, fellowship and service. While each chapter operates independently, they are all bound to live out the Gospel through teamwork, integrity and a love for God that shines both on and off the field.

Another speaker that day was Pat Smith, campus minister and assistant athletic director at St. John Vianney High School, who also serves as moderator for his school’s CAC chapter. Smith, a candidate in the diocesan diaconate program, spoke

Dennis Guida, diocesan moderator for Catholic Athletes for Christ, facilitates questions from students following the day’s talk.

 Keynote speaker Gian Paul Gonzalez addresses students during the annual Catholic Athletes for Christ Conference Oct. 7. Gonzalez, a nationally recognized motivational speaker, is best known for inspiring the New York Giants’ 2012 Super Bowl victory with his “All In” message. Rose O’Connor photos

Don’t miss The Monitor’s Sports coverage online

BY RICH FISHER  Contributing Editor:

 Vaz, DeSimone pace St. John Vianney gymnasts to fifth Shore Conference title

 Donovan Catholic field hockey star Kenley Bottles entertains on the field and stage

 ND’s Angiolino aids teammates on the soccer pitch and children off it

about vocations and the importance of listening to God’s call in everyday life.

Smith shared that at St. John Vianney, all student-athletes are part of Catholic Athletes for Christ. Meetings are held during the school’s activity period — and the school theater is often filled with students gathered to focus on their faith.

“It’s a powerful sight,” Smith said. “CAC at SJV helps ‘Put God Above the Game.’ It’s one of the most visible ways our students live their faith and promote our Catholic identity in the community.”

At Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, theology teacher and campus minister Matt Butler also sees the impact of CAC firsthand. He meets weekly with about 100 students to help them unite athletic drive with spiritual growth.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

 “It’s one of the most visible ways our students live their faith.”

For many CAC members who were able to attend the diocesan conference, the focus on faith resonated.

“It was very motivating,” said Jayden, a 12th-grade softball player from Red Bank Catholic. “It reminded me to put God first and to not be so selfish. It’s important to think about God and the talents he blessed us with.”

“Even when we’re not on the field, we can give 100%,” added Ryan, a senior from CBA who plays soccer and volleyball.

Lucie, an 11th-grade field hockey player from St. Rose High School, shared, “Recruiting and stats aren’t everything. God gave us a talent, and we should use it to honor him.”

Keeva, a sophomore runner from Notre Dame High School, reflected, “It reminded me to follow God’s plan and trust that everything happens for a reason.”

 Faith-driven Mastrorilli’s field hockey talent only part of her value to St. Rose

New story every Friday!

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

SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS SPORTS

Nick Angiolino and his family present a check from Joey’s Little Angels to the Sharing Network Foundation. Angiolino has been the midfield engine that helped Notre Dame’s soccer team to a 12-1-2 start this season. Contributed photo

HAMILTON MISSION

Continued from 72

that? I don’t know … all the Gospel tells us is what he said, and that’s all you need to know, because forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling.”

BLESSED TAKEAWAYS

Following Father Garrott’s presentation, priests and deacons of the parish and visiting clergy used holy oil from the Oratory of St. Brother André Bessette to bless people who came forward with photos or other items.

Nydia Ramos, parishioner of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, said she was eager to come to the mission to hear Father Garrott and receive a blessing for healing.

“I think in their own way, everybody’s taking something home with them” from the experience, she said.

“He preaches in a way that speaks to me personally,” said Mary Theresa Weil of St. Gregory the Great Parish. “And I feel like I could explain it better to other people [after hearing him.]”

To learn more about the Dominican Preachers and Father Garrott’s ministry, visit dominicanpreachers.com.

GARDEN STATE REVIVAL

Continued from 46

Parish and liaison to the Diocese of Trenton Catholic Charismatic Renewal. “This year’s revival was the inspiration of the younger members of the DTCCR. They’re all in their 20’s. They love Jesus. They love the new evangelization and are passionate about bringing revival to New Jersey.

“They inspire me,” Father Kegley added.

“You know, Father Jeff and I

have been around a while,” added Jim Tortorici, a speaker at the Revival and director of the New Jersey Campus of the Encounter School of Ministry, a formation program offered by the Diocese to help prepare the faithful to go out and share their faith.

“The prayer that Father Jeff and I have been praying over the last decade has been ‘Lord, please help us to connect with the youth,’” said Tortorici. “God is answering this prayer. There’s something happening with young people. It’s beautiful to see. And that’s so exciting.”

OUR LADY OF KIBEHO

Continued from 71

Sorrows of Mary [can bring] healing and grace to live in right relationship with one another. We can reference the apparitions of Mary in Kibeho, Rwanda, to illustrate Mary’s desire to bring all people to Christ. She stands beside each of us in our sorrows, [reminding us] that even in our trials, God is near and working for our good.”

The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows includes significant events in Mary’s life that caused her deep anguish, including the prophecy of Simeon; the flight into Egypt; the loss of the child Jesus in the temple; the meeting of Jesus on his way to Calvary; his Crucifixion and Death; the body of Jesus being taken down from the Cross, and the Burial of Jesus.

“As Christ’s Church, we cannot live in our own little bubbles,” Worthy said. “When the opportunity arises to share Mary’s message in its relevance with the world today, we should embrace it.”

Faithful throughout the Diocese are welcome to attend. St. Joseph Church is located at 685 Hooper Ave., Toms River.

MARIAN IMAGE

Continued from 39

“People very much appreciated the fact that we hosted the Image,” Father William Lago, pastor, remarked. “As Catholics, the veneration of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe helps us to be inspired in our faith.”

Msgr. Ed Arnister, pastor of St. Rose Parish, has also seen a positive response from parishioners to the Image’s visit. He explained that St. Rose Parish has been hosting the Image for the past 10 years, always during October’s Respect Life Month because Our Lady of Guadalupe is often referred to as the “Patroness of the Unborn.”

Catherine Minall, who serves as the one of the local Guardians of the Miraculous Image, has helped to coordinate Image visits at St. Rose.

“I have had the blessing of meeting many of the faithful throughout Monmouth County,” she said, many of whom are eager to share the stories of the “quiet miracles” they experienced through the Journey of the Missionary Image. These miracles –some of which Minall has witnessed herself – have included feeling Mary’s heartbeat after touching the Image, as well as the scent of roses permeating strongly throughout the room.

According to Minall, the Miraculous Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been credited for bringing about many conversions. “Our Lady has played a role in healing the hearts of many post-abortive women,” she said. “Other women who considered aborting their children changed their minds and decided to bring forth a new life.”

As Father Lago stated, “Our Lady of Guadalupe teaches us so much about God’s specific love for each

and every person.”

“Our Lady’s message today is the same as it was 2,000 years ago,” Karbasian told the St. Mary of the Lakes audience. “Repent, do penance and pray, especially the Rosary.”

He ended the evening with a quote from St. Padre Pio: “In times of darkness, holding the Rosary is like holding your Blessed Mother’s hand.”

PTA ANNIVERSARY

Continued from 75

generations of children have had the gift of a Catholic education that forms both the mind and the heart, grounding them in faith, hope and love.”

Having a 22-year history with the PTA, Linda Anzano is often asked if, given the chance, would she “do it all again.”

“My response is yes” she said, noting that she started in 2004 when her oldest son was in kindergarten in St. Joseph School, Toms River, and continued until her two sons graduated from eighth grade. She went on to become the Monmouth-Ocean vice regent, then regent and then diocesan president, serving a two-year tenure form 2015-2017.

“My time serving the PTA was some of the best years of my life – seeing how Catholic education shaped my boys, the amazing memories and invaluable friendships made along the way.”

Witnessing the Diocesan PTA Council’s 100th anniversary was “truly an honor” for Lisa Honnig, the PTA’s recording secretary.

“Events like this celebration remind me how blessed we are to have families, educators and parishes working together in faith for the good of our children. It gives me great hope for the future of Catholic education in our Diocese,” Honnig said.

Point Pleasant teacher among finalists for Nonpublic Teacher of the Year

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

With one of every eight New Jersey students attending a nonpublic school, teachers in these settings have an outsized impact on the education of the next generation. One such teacher is Eileen Baglivio, kindergarten teacher in St. Peter School, Point Pleasant Beach.

An educator for 31 years, Baglivio was one of three finalists for the 2025 Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year Award, along with Stacy West, a pre-K teacher in St. John the Apostle School, Clark, who has been teaching for 25 years.

Winner of the 2025 award was Jessica Truran, first grade teacher in Eastern Christian Elementary School, Midland Park, since 2019, who began teaching eight years ago in Ringwood Christian School.

Recognizing excellent nonpublic teachers, the New Jersey Council for American Private Education (NJCAPE) bestows its Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year Award annually on a worthy candidate.

The award was presented Oct. 28 at the Diocesan Chancery in Lawrenceville.

Bonnie Milecki, NJCAPE president and Diocese of Trenton’s assistant superintendent of Catholic schools, noted that the three finalists “reiterate the strength of the nonpublic schools’ teaching community.”

“We are honored to have dedicated and talented teachers who prioritize excellent academic instruction and, in particular, the mental health needs of our students,” she said.

Nonpublic school teachers “are pivotal in preparing students for the skills and knowledge needed for the rapidly evolving challenges of the 21st century, especially here in New Jersey,” said Dr. George Corwell, director of the Office of Education of the New Jersey Catholic Conference and chairperson of the selection committee for the award. “Their efforts strengthen the advancement of parental choice in education, so that parents have the right to send their child to a school that best suits the

child’s individual needs.”

Baglivio, who was also a finalist for the award in 2022, holds a master’s degree in education from Columbia University and is certified to teach in both New Jersey and New York. She has taught kindergarten for 26 years in St. Peter School; prior to that she taught at a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of New York.

“Mrs. Baglivio has been an integral part of the St. Peter School community for many years, inspiring our youngest learners with her warmth, creativity and passion for education,” St. Peter School posted on its website. “Her commitment to nurturing both the academic and spiritual growth of every child exemplifies the mission and values of Catholic education.”

“Our [finalists] demonstrate daily what it means to be fully invested in a career,” Dr. Corwell noted, “and they represent the best and brightest … who do their jobs in a way that embodies the true spirit of education.”

The Monitor continues to expand its online presence. We are pushing new and varied content out to our readers and visitors through TrentonMonitor.com as well as our profiles on Facebook. Please consider making a donation to The Monitor’s publishing ministry so we may continue to bring the Good News - in print and digital form - to all who seek it. SEND YOUR DONATION TO: The Monitor, P.O. Box 5147, Trenton, NJ 08638

Allen Dupree from the N.J. Department of Education presents the award to Eileen Baglivio. Courtesy photo

DOT youth are ready for NCYC in Indy; digital encounter with Holy Father will be highlight

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

When 58 Catholic high school-aged young people and their adult chaperones from around the Diocese gather in Indianapolis for the National Catholic Youth Conference, here’s an idea of what they can expect.

From Nov. 20-22, they’ll get to hear inspiring messages from well-known Catholic speakers; attend Mass and Eucharistic Adoration with thousands of their peers from around the country; participate in praise and worship led by award-winning artists, and best of all will be participating in a “digital encounter” with Pope Leo XIV.

“In an era where the digital and spiritual life intersect, the Holy Father is breaking new ground,” said Dan Waddington, director of the diocesan Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

“For the first time ever, a Pope will engage directly with young people at NCYC, and for Pope Leo XIV, this will be his first-ever digital dialogue with young people in the United States.”

 “I hope... they come home on fire for their faith.”

During the encounter, the Pope will engage in a 45-minute real-time dialogue with the young people gathered in Lucas Oil Stadium and with thousands more joining from around the world via livestream,” Waddington explained. The dialogue will begin at 10:15 a.m. and broadcast globally by Eternal Word Television Network.

“The Holy Father will listen and respond as young people share their hopes, struggles and faith,” Waddington said. “It’s a moment that says to every young person: ‘your voice matters in the life of the Church.’”

Overall, Waddington said NCYC promises to be a “powerfully, unique experience of prayer, community, evangelization, catechesis, service and empowerment for teenagers and their chaperones.”

“NCYC is the premier Catholic youth event on a national scale that gathers people from all across American for a life-changing encounter with Christ,” he said. What adds to its significance is that “it creates a space for them to come together and can share their faith openly and proudly and truly feel connected to our

Church as they are surrounded by so many other young people who are just like them,” he said. “It is my hope that those attending NCYC will have an encounter experience with Jesus, meeting him through the power of the Sacraments, the talks, music, prayer and the sheer power of so many Catholic teens coming together to celebrate who they are as the young Church.”

As the Diocese’s NCYC contingent readies for their Nov. 19 departure date, Waddington said he is excited about the increase in number of attendees from the 2023 conference. It’s also his hope that for teens unable to attend NCYC, they can participate in “watch parties” in their schools. Waddington is working with the diocesan Department of Catholic Schools to encourage schools to host “watch parties” so that middle school and high schoolers can watch the encounter with Holy Father.

“I hope this year will be a life-changing experience for our young people and they come home on fire for their faith, ready to live it more intentionally and to bring that energy to their youth groups and parishes,” Waddington said.

A participant prays during the closing Mass of the National Catholic Youth Conference at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Nov 18, 2023. OSV News photo/Mike Krokos, The Criterion

Michael I. Days, groundbreaking journalist, long-time parish leader, dies at 72

Michael I. Days, a groundbreaking Philadelphia journalist who led the Philadelphia Daily News to a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2010; a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion, and a parish leader in Sacred Heart Parish, Trenton, died suddenly Oct. 18 in Capital Health Regional Medical Center, Trenton. He was 72.

Michael I.

Days

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Oct. 25 in Sacred Heart Church, with Msgr. Dennis Apoldite, pastor and episcopal vicar of Mercer County, serving as principal celebrant and homilist.

Mr. Days was a longtime, active Catholic in the Trenton parishes of Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd, Blessed Sacrament-Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd, and presently, Sacred Heart. He was a member of the Knights of St. John International, where he was a Brigadier general and editor of its international journal, the Gospel choir, parish council, usher, lector and involved in numerous project-based committees and boards on the parish level and in his community.

Born in August, 1953, Mr. Days grew up in North Philadelphia but lived in Trenton for nearly 40 years. He graduated from Roman Catholic High School, Philadelphia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the College of Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass.; a master’s degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, and he was a McCormick Fellow and a graduate of the Media Management Center’s Advanced Executive Program at Northwestern University.

Award. He also received the Lillian Award for outstanding service to journalism from the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. From 2017-2020, he directed the Acel Moore High School Journalism Workshop at The Inquirer. He retired as vice president of diversity and inclusion of the Philadelphia Media Network in 2020.

He co-authored with his wife, Angela Dodson, “We’ve Been Here Before: How Rebellion and Activism Have Always Sustained America.”  He and Angela recently partnered in Editors On Call, LLC.

Mr. Days was predeceased by his mother, Helen B. Days, and his son, Adrian Days. In addition to his wife of 43 years, Angela Dodson, he is survived by three sons, Edward and his wife, Tracy, Andrew and Umi Days; four grandchildren, a sister, and many other family members and friends.

Memorial donations may be made to the College of the Holy Cross at give.holycross.edu; St. Rose of Lima School, Philadelphia, at imsphila.org/donate/donate-online, and his wife’s family fund, the Dodson, Dotson and Hairston scholarship through the Marshall University Foundation at marshall.edu

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Mr. Days started his professional career as an intern at The Minneapolis Star Tribune. His early work experience included serving as a reporter for The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky., and the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, N.Y., before he returned to Philadelphia to work for The Wall Street Journal. He joined the city’s Daily News publication as a reporter in 1986 and was first named the publication’s editor in 2005. He was the first black person to lead the paper in its 90-year history.

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He went on to serve as managing editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer before returning to the Daily News as editor in 2012.

Mr. Days earned numerous awards for his work in journalism and in the community. Accolades include receiving the Hall of Fame honors from the National Association of Black Journalists and the Pennsylvania News Media Association. He was a past president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists and, at the time of his death, was president of the NABJ-Philadelphia. He had been honored twice by the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, receiving the President’s Award and the Trailblazer

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SISTER MARY TERENA GENTILI, NATIVE TRENTONIAN, DIES AT 91

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A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Oct. 17 in St. Joachim Church, Trenton, part of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, for Mercy Sister Mary Terena Gentili, who died Oct. 12 in McAuley Hall Health Care Center, Watchung. She was 91. Born in Trenton, to Dante and Clara Gentili, Sister Mary Terena’s early education began in St. Joachim Elementary School in Trenton and continued in Cathedral High School.  She pursued a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education at Georgian Court College (now University), Lakewood, graduating in 1970. She entered the Sisters of Mercy in Watchung in 1955.

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Sister Terena began her ministry, teaching the primary grades, in Atlantic City.  Over the next 30 years, she taught at parish elementary schools staffed by the Sisters of Mercy including St. Mary, Bordentown, in the Diocese of Trenton, as well as in Perth Amboy, Bound Brook and Phillipsburg. In 1990, she went to St. Paul School in Princeton, where she taught second grade, reading enrichment in all primary grades and served on the professional staff as a spiritual and education consultant.

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 Additional obituaries will be posted to TrentonMonitor.com as information becomes available .

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DICK CHENEY DIES AT 84; HIS POWER, INFLUENCE SEEN AS ‘UNMATCHED’ IN HISTORY OF VICE PRESIDENCY

BY OSV NEWS

WASHINGTON • Dick Cheney, seen as one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S. history who played a large role in the post-9/11 war on terror, died Nov. 3 at 84, his family said in a statement the following day.

Cheney, who was the 46th vice president of the U.S., died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, the Nov. 4 statement said. Robert Schmuhl, professor emeritus of American studies at the University of Notre Dame, who critically observes the modern American presidency, told OSV News, “During George W. Bush’s first term as president, Dick Cheney had influence and power unmatched in the history of the vice presidency.”

Cheney’s long career in Washington included roles as President Gerald Ford’s White House chief of staff, a member of Congress from Wyoming, and secretary of defense. Cheney was a leading advocate for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, seen as a key player in convincing President George W. Bush to carry out a preemptive attack to remove Saddam Hussein from power in the years following 9/11. Although the American public came to view that war as a disaster, Cheney consistently defended the decision. Bush called Cheney “a calm and steady presence in the White House amid great national challenges.”

SISTER JEAN, BELOVED LOYOLA ICON AND CHAPLAIN OF MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM, DIES AT 106

BY OSV NEWS

CHICAGO • She prayed with college basketball players before games, counseled them after losses, and reminded them that faith, not fame, was the real victory. Now, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the spirited chaplain who became a national

symbol of joy, devotion and perseverance, has completed her earthly journey.

Sister Jean, a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and longtime chaplain of the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team, died Oct. 9. She was 106.

Jean Dolores Schmidt, longtime chaplain of the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team and campus icon died at age 106 Oct. 9, 2025.

For many Americans, Sister Jean became a household name during Loyola’s stunning run to the 2018 NCAA Final Four, when she was 98 years old. Sitting courtside in her maroonand-gold scarf, she offered pregame prayers, postgame analysis and the occasional strategic suggestion – earning the affection of fans, players, and coaches nationwide. Beyond basketball, Sister Jean led weekly student prayer groups and founded SMILE (Students Moving Into the Lives of the Elderly).

Her influence reached far beyond campus, touching thousands who encountered her through interviews, speaking events and her bestselling memoir, “Wake Up With Purpose!: What I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years.” “Don’t let anybody stop you,” she told students on her last birthday in August. “You are the future leaders of our churches, our schools, our country and our world.”

LOCAL NEWS

FORMER ST. LEO STAFFER CHARGED WITH ALLEGED THEFT OF MORE THAN $500K

FROM STAFF REPORTS

The August discovery and subsequent investigation into possible financial improprieties in St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, has resulted in charges filed against former parish staffer Joseph A. Manzi for allegedly stealing more than $500,000 of church funds.

New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Criminal Justice announced the charges in a press release Oct. 17, 2025. The release states that “Manzi, 78, of Atlantic Highlands, is charged by complaint with theft by unlawful taking (2nd degree) for allegedly using church funds for personal purchases.”

Attorney General Platkin states in the release: “As described in the complaint, this conduct was not to feed his family or for some kind of emergency, but to live a more lavish lifestyle.”

The full release can be viewed at: www.njoag.gov/formerchurch-official-charged-with-stealing-funds/

According to subsequent media reports, the summons and complaint was served on Manzi in early October out of the

Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, smile alongside Pope Benedict XVI during a departure ceremony at JFK International Airport in New York April 20, 2008. Cheney died at age 84 Nov. 3, 2025. OSV News photo/Nancy Wiechec

Sister

OSV News photo/courtesy Loyola University Chicago

Middletown Township Municipal Court. He turned himself in and was released on his own recognizance. His first court appearance is set for the end of November.

Concerns about possible financial improprieties were first announced in an advisory from St. Leo Parish and shared by the Diocese of Trenton Aug. 13, 2025.  According to that advisory, a preliminary investigation by the parish and diocesan officials confirmed a basis for the concerns, which were then reported to law enforcement authorities. St. Leo the Great Parish and the Diocese have committed full cooperation to law enforcement efforts.

The Attorney General’s release stipulates: “These charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”

Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, according to the release.

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Gospel for November 16, 2025  Luke 21: 5-19

Following is a word search based on the Gospel reading for the Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary time, Cycle C: future challenges to believers. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle.

ADORNED OFFERINGS DAYS

SIGNS MY NAME WARS TERRIFIED NATION KINGDOM PERSECUTE PRISONS

BROTHERS FRIENDS TO DEATH HATED A HAIR HEAD

SCARY

ACROSS

1 Hemingway, convert to Catholicism, as known to his friends

3 Common biblical harvest

6 “What God ___ joined together…”

10 Catholic actor who won an Academy Award for his role as Father Flanagan 11 One of the prophets

NT epistle 15 The yoke of Jesus, as Jesus described it 16 Rite in the Catholic Church 18 Blue ___ of Our Lady of Fatima

St. Angela ___

Spirit

Marian month 25 Grandmother of Timothy 26 Patron saint of hermits 28 In the Book of Esther, Haman wanted to destroy all of them 29 “…and ___ our salvation, He came down from heaven.” 30 ___ of the Spirit 33 Biblical river 35 Patron saint of Canada 36 There are seven mentioned in Revelation 39 Book after Joel 41 Second Greek letter in a title for Jesus 42 Surname of Pope Paul VI

Church days

Novena number

Catholic actress of “Our Miss Brooks” fame

David played one

Chrysologus, a Doctor of the Church

Old Testament hymn

Minor Prophet of the 6th century

5 This archdiocese is found in South Australia

7 John Paul II’s “Ecclesia in ___”

8 ___ Name Society

9 St. Mary’s Cathedral is in this New South Wales capital

12 “I will give you the ___ of the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 16:19)

13 Jacob was afraid to meet him

17 Amo, ___, amat

21 Biblical dry measure

22 One of the seven deadly sins

23 Charity

24 La Santa ___

27 Teresa of Avila’s Castle

28 California diocese named for Saint Joseph (with “San”)

29 What Andrew and Peter did for a living

31 Patron saint of sailors

32 “…the ___ will be first…” (Mt 20:16)

34 Patron saint of boy scouts

37 Monastic Press?

38 “No one can ___ two masters” (Mt 6:24)

39 Certain corner

40 Grandson of Leah

Heavy smoke and flames pour from the roof of Holy Family School in Lakewood during the Oct. 3 fire. Courtesy photo

LAKEWOOD FIRE

Continued from 73

The cause of the fire has not been determined and law enforcement agencies are still investigating.

FAITH RESPONSE

Immediately after the fire, Divine Word Father Guilherme Andrino, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, was in contact with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and the members of his parish. In a letter to parishioners the weekend of Oct. 4 and 5, Father Andrino informed them of the fire and its impact on the parish. He conveyed to them the Bishop’s prayers, and asked

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.

for prayers, understanding and unity as they prepared to navigate through the demands to come.

He asked parishioners to stay “united and focused,” adding that, “In times like these, rumors and misinformation can spread quickly.  Let us choose faith over fear, and truth over speculation. . . I hold firmly to the belief that God is with us in this moment, just as he has always been.  We will rebuild. The material losses can be restored.  What matters most is the safety and strength of our community, and that remains unshaken.”

Mary Stadnyk, associate editor of The Monitor, contributed to the preparation of this article.

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.

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Please give to those who have given a lifetime.

Our senior sisters, brothers, and religious order priests need your help. Decades of caring for others with little or no pay have left many communities without sufficient retirement savings. Over 20,500 elderly religious depend on the Retirement Fund for Religious for health care, medication, and daily living expenses. Your gift helps ensure they receive the care they deserve. Please give back to those who have given a lifetime.

Please donate at your local parish, December 13–14, or by mail at: Diocese of Trenton Department of Finance 701 Lawrenceville Road Lawrenceville NJ 08648

Make check payable to Diocese of Trenton-Retirement Fund for Religious.