Monitor Magazine January 2021

MONITOR

THE

Official publication of The Diocese of Trenton

Vol. 2 • No. 4 • JANUARY 2021

MAGAZINE

IN OUR

MIDST

Hungry. Homeless. Unemployed. Struggling to pay for life’s most basic needs.

As the economic toll of the pandemic has plunged millions into poverty and made it difficult to serve the poorest communities, the statue of a Homeless Jesus calls the faithful to respond in love and solidarity. See IN FOCUS.

 INSIDE… FROM THE BISHOP: Respect for life an ‘every day and always’ cause; Year of St. Joseph a chance for growth EL ANZUELO: El Año de San José; Apoyo en la pandemia; Respeto por la vida

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TAVR beneFiTS inClude: • Superior outcomes versus open-heart surgery* • Insertion through a small incision means faster recovery than an open-chest surgery • The procedure does not involve stopping the heart and generally takes about 90 minutes *PARTNER 3 Trial primary endpoint of death, stroke or rehospitalization at 1 year: 8.5% with SAPIEN 3 TAVR compared to 15.1% for surgery.

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2 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

Thank you for allowing the youngest of our Catholic family the same opportunity you had been gifted.

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100% of donations will go to your school of choice or you can designate the Diocesan Office of Catholic Schools for broader tuition or program assistance.

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One way of giving during this time of the year is “Giving Tuesday.”

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– Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.

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ON THE COVER A statue depicting Jesus as a homeless man huddled on a bench is seen in New York City. Sculpted by Canadian Catholic Timothy Schmalz, “Homeless Jesus” portrays a thin man covered with a blanket and nail wounds in his feet. Such statues are displayed in more than 100 cities across the world. Jeff Bruno photo

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MONITOR Official publication of The Diocese of Trenton

MAGAZINE

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

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Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Hainesport

Contents 5-6  From the Bishop

Bishop O’Connell reflects on the continuous battle of the pro-life movement

Coverage begins on page 10

THE

7-9

7-9  Christmas Bishop, parishes celebrate the joy of Christ’s Birth in Christmas Masses around the Diocese

10-16  In Focus As the pandemic continues, food pantries cope with shortages and renters face evictions, while volunteers are limited

24-25  Year of St. Joseph Pope Francis declares a Year of St. Joseph, invoking the saint’s intercession and encouraging the faithful to pray

32-37  Catholic Schools Week Preview A word from the diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools; plus, virtual tours and admissions information

38-41  El Anzuelo Imitando las cualidades de San José; Ser personas de acción en la pandemia; Respetemos la vida siempre

REGULAR FEATURES 27  Pope Francis 30  World & Nation 42-44  Insight from Fathers Koch & Doyle January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 3

Freepik photo

Reader's Corner

What will be

asked of us in 2021?

I

t would be difficult to recall a time when saying goodbye to an old year and embracing the new one engendered such universal joy as that which we have just experienced. It seems that many people fall into two camps – those who feel that the worst is over and it is now smooth sailing ahead … and those who prefer to tiptoe into 2021, remaining quiet and avoiding eye contact lest we rouse the beast of misfortune.

 “Let us remember that we do not venture forth without special help.”  Obviously, most people realize that the arrival of 2021 and the promised vaccine against COVID-19 do not allow us to flip a switch and expect that the difficulties that we have come through will never darken our doorsteps again.

Still, there are important and legitimate signs of hope, something for which we are all hungry right about now.

One gift of a new year is a clarity of purpose. While we may not know precisely all that will be asked of us this

year, we can be sure that there is much to be done. As in any disaster that has ever befallen this nation, recovery begins when those who are strong enough or well enough roll up their sleeves and get to work to help those who may not be able to help themselves.

This new issue of The Monitor Magazine might be described as a blueprint for 2021 in that it details some of the priorities and critical needs facing our brothers and sisters right now. We obviously must persevere in our efforts to keep ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbors well through observing safeguards and getting the vaccine when it is available to us. But add to that the need to reach out to the people in our midst who are suffering under the financial burdens of the pandemic brought about through no fault of their own.

We often hear about donor fatigue, and it is true – appeals for financial support now flood into our mailboxes and inboxes like never before. We can’t respond to everything and help everyone.

But at the very least, we need to inform ourselves of the suffering brought about by the novel coronavirus. We need to hold those affected in prayer and advocate for

4 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

A message from

RAYANNE BENNETT Associate Publisher

them in any way we can.

At the same time, we need to fight the ever-growing threats to the helpless child in the womb. As the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade is once again commemorated, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has asked us to be warriors for life, and to dedicate this month to prayer and advocacy to end abortion. We all can work to advance a culture in which every human life is welcomed into this world with love.

As we consider the work ahead of us, let us remember that we do not venture forth without special help. Pope Francis has proclaimed a Year of St. Joseph, honoring the one who protected and cared for Jesus and Mary. Bishop O’Connell has shared a number of special prayers in this issue, and has invited the faithful to pray to St. Joseph during his designated year.

On behalf of our team who produces The Monitor Magazine, I wish all of our readers a new year filled with hope and purpose. May God bless all that you do.

From the Bishop

Pro-life advocates are indeed warriors

T

he expression “culture warrior” is used in contemporary conversation, even in some Catholic circles, to describe people who fight for those causes that run counter to prevailing cultural values and preferences, chief among those causes, the protection of human life in all its stages, from conception to natural death.

 “Our defense of the innocent unborn needs to be clear, firm and passionate.”  It is rarely spoken or used in a positive way, however. I believe that it can, and even should be. Those who are “prolife” are, indeed, engaged in a significant battle to convince their opponents and critics that, as Pope St. John Paul II once affirmed, “When some lives, including the unborn, are subjected to the personal choices of others, no other value or right will long be guaranteed (Pope St. John Paul, encyclical Evangelium Vitae, 1995).”

We know that respecting life is a human imperative that cannot and must not be limited to a single month or a single day.

It is an “every day and always cause” that is not unique to any one religious belief or denomination. Pope Francis has stated that “abortion is not a religious problem in the sense that just because I am a Catholic, I must not seek an abortion. It is a human problem. It is a problem of eliminating a human life. Period (Pope Francis, “Interview with Mexican journalist Valentina Alazraki” May 28, 2019).”

For Catholics, however, respecting life, especially the unborn, is intrinsic to our identity as people of faith. It admits no denial, no exception, no compromise.

A Message from

BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

Every life is cherished, chosen, and sent.

“Abortion is never the answer. … Human life is sacred and inviolable (Pope Francis, “Address to Vatican Conference ‘Yes to Life!’” May 25, 2019).”

“Our defense of the innocent unborn needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of the human person, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her age or stage of development (Pope Francis, Address to the Pontifical Academy for Life, June 25, 2018).”

As the 48th anniversary of the tragic Roe v. Wade decision of the U.S. Supreme Court approaches on January 22, 2021, each Catholic — indeed each human being — has the opportunity to focus special attention, effort and fervent prayer on the conviction that every human life is precious and worthy of protection, from conception to natural death. “Every intentional abortion is gravely wrong (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2271).”

In the United States, the notion of “rights” is particularly strong in our national conversation. Any honest discussion, however, must begin with the asser-

tion that the right to life is the first among human rights – “preeminent” as the U.S. Bishops recently declared – one that even the Founding Fathers affirmed. “Protecting human life is one of the noblest tasks of the state. If a state evades this responsibility, it undermines the foundations of the rule of law (YouCat, no. 383).”

St. Teresa of Calcutta expressed it well: “Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love but to use violence to get what they want ... it is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish ... if abortion isn’t wrong, then nothing is wrong.”

This coming year, here in New Jersey, legislators are contemplating the promulgation of what is being called the “Reproductive Freedom Act.” Our state already has some of the most permissive abortion laws Continued on 6

MONTH OF PRO-LIFE ACTION With opposition to abortion remaining a Catholic Christian’s “pre-eminent priority,” Bishop O’Connell has called for the faithful to take part in numerous Respect Life opportunities in January. He has called on all of the faithful to pray a Rosary for Life; will lead a “Novena to St. Joseph to End Abortion”; will celebrate a pre-recorded pro-life Mass, and calls for a Day of Prayer and Fasting. See page 23

Parishioners from St. Mary Parish, Barnegat, take part in the 2020 March for Life. Fighting against the “culture of death” while fighting for a “culture of life” is a battle worth fighting.

Jeff Bruno photo

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 5

From the Bishop

Bishop: We are the voice for the unborn Continued from 5

in the nation. To proceed further down that road is one more indictment of the total disregard of contemporary culture for human life, taking place in our state.

Sadly, some Catholics in public office in New Jersey are among the most vocal proponents of the “culture of death” in our state. And they are receiving broad support from the citizenry. Pope St. John Paul II, continuing the constant teaching of the Church, reiterated many times that those who are directly involved in lawmaking bodies have a grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that attacks human life. For

them, as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Doctrinal Note on Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life, no. 4, 2002).

Make no mistake about it. Abortion kills children, hurts women and destroys society. I read somewhere that life offers no guarantees, but abortion offers no chances. Fighting against the “culture of death” while fighting for a “culture of life” is a battle worth fighting in today’s world.

The unborn have no voice. We do. We may be mocked as “culture warriors,” but

the first, last and most important cause we can pursue is to respect life in all its stages.

We are called to be warriors. And we might draw inspiration from these oft-quoted words of wisdom, “Fate whispers to the warrior, ‘you cannot withstand the storm.’ The warrior confidently whispers back, ‘I am the storm.’”

In this year, dedicated to St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church and guardian of the Blessed Mother as she bore the Son of God in her womb, Catholics should pray for his intercession that the tragedy of abortion might come to an end and that the life of the most innocent and vulnerable among us might always be guarded and protected.

Here is a look back on some of the people and places Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., was able to visit and celebrate with during the past month.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., celebrates a Mass of Thanksgiving to mark 150 years since the founding of St. Paul School, Burlington. The Bishop visited the school and parish community of St. Katharine Drexel, Burlington, Dec. 5, and received a gift from students while at the school. From left, Deacon Matthew Fung; Father Jerome Guld, parish pastor, Bishop O’Connell; Father Cesar Anson, parochial vicar of Mary, Mother of the Church Parish, Bordentown, and Father Tom Barry, parochial vicar in the Burlington parish. Mike Ehrmann photo

Knights and Dames of Malta gather with Bishop O’Connell in the Lawrenceville Chancery chapel. The Bishop celebrated Mass with members of the Order of Malta, preaching a message of hope for the Advent and Christmas seasons and respect for the order, which has a centuries-long mission of defending the faith and serving the poor. The Mass was livestreamed across all diocesan media for Knights and Dames around the Diocese and beyond.

Jennifer Mauro photo

For more on these stories and dozens of photos, visit TrentonMonitor.com.

6 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

Christmas

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., celebrates Mass on Christmas Eve in St. Gregory the Great Church, Hamilton Square. He is assisted by Deacon Joe Latini, left.

Father Jason Parzynski, right, served as the Bishop’s master of ceremonies.

‘Let Christmas open your eyes, hearts to hope,’ Bishop preaches in Christmas homilies

BY JENNIFER MAURO  Managing Editor

A

cknowledging the challenges the pandemic-stricken world has experienced in the past year, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., urged every faithful person to look to the hope Christmas brings.

“This Christmas is an invitation to us and to all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to let the mystery in, to let it warm our hearts and make them feel new, to let it influence our way of looking at the world he came to save, to give ‘glory to God’ as we embrace one another – although at a distance, although online, although livestreamed yet no less real or compelling – in love, in compassion, in forgiveness, in mercy,” Bishop O’Connell preached during the Christmas Eve  “Christmas Vigil Mass he celebrated Dec. 24 in St. Gregory the Great Church, Hamilton is truly the Square, and midnight Mass in St. Rose feast of Church, Belmar.

The Bishop spoke of how those God's infinite Christmas graces will come alive in and around every faithful person, because mercy.”  “they always have since that first Christmas and always will.”

Faithful across the Diocese tuned in via livestream video for both Masses, which were accompanied by cherished Christmas hymns and carols, creating a sense of warmth and familiarity in an otherwise unconventional year.

Joining the Bishop at the altar in St. Rose Church were

Msgr. Edward Arnister, pastor, Father Christopher Dayton, parochial Bishop O'Connell celebrates midnight Mass in vicar, and Father St. Rose Church, Belmar. The Mass was liveDavid Baratelli streamed. Screenshot photo of the Archdiocese of Newark and chaplain in Newark Liberty International Airport. Father Jason Parzynski, diocesan vocations director, served as the Bishop’s master of ceremonies at both Masses. In St. Gregory the Great, Deacon Joe Latini assisted, and Father Michael Hall, pastor, helped administer Holy Communion.

Christmas, Bishop O’Connell preached, is truly the feast of God’s infinite mercy.

“Could there have been any greater mercy shown to us unhappy men than that which led the Creator of the heavens to come down among us, and the Creator of the earth to take on our mortal body?” Bishop O’Connell said, quoting from St. Augustine of Hippo. “That same mercy led the Lord of the world to assume the nature of a servant, so that, being himself bread, he would suffer hunger; being himself fullness, he would thirst; being himself power, he would know weakness; being himself salvation, he would experience our woundedness, and being himself life, he would die. All this he did to satisfy our hunger, alleviate our longing, strengthen our weaknesses, wipe out our sins and enkindle our charity.”

Continued on 53

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 7

St. Monica Church, Jackson

Corpus Christi Church, Willingboro

Parishes find ways to keep

Christmas Masses safe and prayerful

St. Catharine Church, Holmdel

Creativity was at the heart of how parishes across the Diocese approached the celebration of Christmas in a pandemic year. Whether it was adding Masses or using multiple locations – such as parish halls and school gymnasiums – top priority was given to ensuring that the faithful could attend in-person Masses in a safe and socially distanced manner. Parishes also continued to accommodate those who preferred outdoor, in-car and livestreamed Masses. At the heart of each celebration, however, was the knowledge that “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”

(Isaiah 9:2) Courtesy photos

Sacred Heart Church, Riverton 8 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

Christmas

St. Francis of Assisi Church, Brant Beach

St. Paul Church, Princeton

St. Joseph Church, Millstone

St. Benedict Church, Holmdel St. Catherine of Siena Church, Farmingdale

To view more photos of parishes around the Diocese at Christmas, visit TrentonMonitor.com> Multimedia>Photo Galleries

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 9

In focus

The Church’s long-fought battle to end poverty

BY RAYANNE BENNETT  Associate Publisher

I

n 2007, just a few years after the serial disasters of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Catholic Charities USA launched the Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America, setting the ambitious goal of “Cutting Poverty in Half by 2020.”

At that time, with the number of impoverished Americans estimated at an alarming 36.5 million, the campaign took aim at four main areas: improving food and nutrition programs; increasing access to health care; enabling more people to get affordable housing, and promoting greater economic security for the poor and vulnerable through programs that support work and strengthen families.

A status report a year after launch acknowledged certain points of progress for which the campaign had advocated, including passage of a federal law increasing the minimum wage; reforms to student loans, and the provision of additional resources to low-income families struggling with heating bills. Continual and incremental progress in the decade that followed, together with other similar initiatives, likely contributed to an actual reduction in the poverty rate from 2014

to 2019. Though the aspirational “cut in half ” measure was not achieved, the rate of 10.5 percent in 2019 was the lowest since 1959, when such records were first published.

Then 2020 arrived, and the pandemic changed everything.

While income and poverty rates are hard to pin down because of the fluctuations in jobs and governmental aid in the 10 months of the 2020 pandemic, certain statistics are hard to ignore. The numbers of impoverished Americans held steady through May thanks to the different forms of relief funding and even tax returns. But beginning in June, those numbers took flight, according to the results of a Columbia University study, which found that eight million people were plunged into poverty as a result of the pandemic’s toll and that the total number of people who fall below the poverty line

10 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

A woman waits in line over the summer in the nation’s capital to pick up free food supplies.

According to statistics, eight million people fell into poverty across America due to the coronavirus pandemic. CNS photo/Chaz Muth

 “Charity . . . is always a

preferential love shown to those in greatest need; it undergirds everything we do on their behalf.

Only a gaze transformed by charity can enable the dignity of others to be recognized and, as a consequence, the poor to be acknowledged and valued in their dignity, respected in their identity and culture, and thus truly integrated into society.”

– Pope Francis, “Fratelli Tutti”  is actually 55 million.

These trends have unleashed unprecedented hunger, homelessness and incomes that cannot sustain basic needs, dealing an especially crushing blow to children and those in the minority community.

Responding to this human suffering in charity continues to be a priority of the Church, regardless of the complexity and adversity that sometimes exist. A network of agencies and ministries within the Church – including on the national, diocesan and parish levels – has been working vigorously to advocate for those who struggle with poverty, to provide food and assistance with rent and utilities and a host of other needs. They are doing even more now during COVID-19, Continued on 55

Contributing Authors: KEVIN AHERN FR. WILLIAM BAUSCH

Introducing

MARGARET BLACKIE, PhD REV. NADIA BOLZ-WEBER GREG BOYLE, SJ REV. MARK BOZZUTI-JONES, DMin REV. MARGARET BULLITT-JONAS, PhD DONNA CIANGIO, OP RORY COONEY KATHERINE CORDOVA, SCHC DAVE DAVIS BECKY ELDREDGE ROBERT ELLSBERG MASSIMO FAGGIOLI, PhD MICHELLE FRANCL-DONNAY DEACON RON HANSEN MARTY HAUGEN DAN HORAN, OFM, PhD MIKE JONCAS DEACON GREG KANDRA DEACON JIM KNIPPER MIKE LEACH RICK MALLOY, SJ RICKY MANALO, CSP, PhD JAMES MARTIN, SJ SHIRIN McARTHUR MEGAN McKENNA BRIAN McLAREN PENNY NASH DENNIS PLUMMER JAN RICHARDSON V. GENE ROBINSON RICHARD ROHR, OFM TIM SHRIVER MARY SPERRY FRAN ROSSI SZPYLCZYN PAT WENRICK PHYLLIS ZAGANO, PhD

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January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 11

In focus

Tsunami of evictions a very real possibility for millions very real concern. “We are bracing ourselves. This is going to be a major s winter sets in and a pandemic rages on across the coun- problem,” Laó-Collins said.

In addition to an extensive array try, millions of financially strapped Americans are facing of services for individuals, families and children, CCDOT provides a eviction. Experts are calling what is coming a tsunami. number of housing and homelessness prevention programs in the counties of Burlington, Mercer, It describes the unprecedented number of individuals and families who will face eviction or foreclosure when the moratori- Ocean and Monmouth, including rapid rehousing, transitional um enacted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in housing and temporary sheltering.

The programs may be subsidized by varying federal, state or September expires Jan. 31. local funds, Laó-Collins explained, noting, “Even with what we In New Jersey, estimates for evictions, which would begin in are already doing, we are also faced with problems.”

February when the federal moratorium ends, run from 45,600 She cited the example of “gaps in to 50,000, said Brenda Rascher, diocesan executive director of funding” and a slowdown on the fedCatholic social services, who holds a law degree and has worked  “Even eral level in getting out applications for more than 25 years with low-income families focusing on those we for renewal of housing contracts, in eviction defense, homelessness prevention and consumer rights.

Standing between those who may soon be facing homelessness some cases waiting months for HUD have already and this wave of coming evictions are charitable and social service (Housing and Urban Development) applications while existing contracts organizations like Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton and the housed are lapse.

St. Vincent de Paul Society, both of which, in spite of facing their now at risk This lack of coordinated funding own unique pandemic challenges, continue to do whatever is by the public sector is disruptive for possible to help the rapidly growing number of those in need. of losing their local communities, creating unstaTheir determination and mission is forged in the long tradible conditions. “Even those we have tion of Catholic social teaching and the virtue of solidarity. homes.”  already housed are now at risk of LOSS OF HOUSING losing their homes,” stressed Laó-Collins, acknowledging that the In conversations with providers in Catholic Charities netcascade of problems resulting from ongoing delays and interrupworks across the country, Marlene Laó-Collins, Catholic Chartions in housing and employment assistance are “putting a lot of ities Diocese of Trenton executive director, acknowledged the strain on staff, who work in the community daily” while ensuring

BY MARY CLIFFORD MORRELL  Contributing Editor

A

12 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

all varied protocols that need to be followed are met.

“It must be all hands on deck, including the federal and state government, with trying to keep people from losing their current housing, especially this time of year,” stressed Laó-Collins.

Shutterstock

MOVING AHEAD The task of assisting those who find themselves in these frightening situations because of COVID-19-related loss of income or illness is a complicated one that requires an understanding of state and federal legislation, legal issues, COVID-19 guidelines and the ability to acknowledge that not

everyone can be helped.

To assist in the effort, Rascher recently offered multiple online sessions titled “A Tsunami Called ‘Evictions,’” in which she outlined what St. Vincent de Paul conferences Diocese-wide could expect when the moratorium expires and offered guidelines on how to move forward in helping those who may be facing homelessness.

Under the oversight of the SVDP Trenton Diocesan Council, the 47 SVDP conferences, composed solely of volunteers within the five districts of Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth, Northern Monmouth and Ocean, are among those social service organizations that offer limited rental assistance.

In addition, SVDP conferences work to connect clients to additional social services that may lessen their financial burdens, as well as enter in to negotiations with landlords on behalf of tenants, connecting to legal services when necessary.

Rascher explained that the federal moratorium covers evictions and foreclosures, meaning both lockouts and sheriffs taking possession are stayed until the moratorium is lifted. Tax sale certificates, however, are not covered by the moratorium.

In light of the extraordinary financial need of so many, especially if evictions reach the expected number, Rascher advised volunteers to establish and stick to guidelines, including prioritizing requests and identifying who can actually be helped going forward in an effort to make the best use of limited funds, which come almost exclusively from donations.

It is also essential to recognize that, with rents not being paid, “the next person in line to suffer is

the landlord. Landlords have mortgage payments, and taxes and insurance all contingent on rental incomes,” said Joan Olden, president of the diocesan St. Vincent de Paul Society.

LIVING CONDITIONS While many consider the federal moratorium a financial stop-gap, CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield signed the declaration because it was determined that evictions could be detrimental to public health control measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to the agency's website.

Continued on 31

IN FEEDING OTHERS, SEMINARIAN FINDS ADDED PERSPECTIVE ON VOCATION “An eye-opening experience.”

That’s how Adam Johnson, a seminarian from the Trenton Diocese, described the four hours he and 15 fellow seminarians from the College Division in St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa., recently spent performing works of service to help people in need at Caring for Friends in Northeast Philadelphia.

While community service has Adam Johnson, a seminarian from the Trenbeen a longstanding element of ton Diocese, volunteers at Caring for Friends the seminarians’ formation process, in Northeast Philadelphia. CNS photo/Matthew Gamchanges were made to this year’s bino, CatholicPhilly.com approach because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At Caring for Friends, Johnson said the seminarians, which included four others from the Trenton Diocese, were tasked with sorting through more than 10 pallets of donated food and then assembling meals for needy families in the Philadelphia area.

Other duties found the seminarians working in the kitchen and preparing “single serve” meals for senior citizens who could not cook for themselves as well as packaging dry food products to be delivered to the homeless.

During their shift, Johnson estimated that the seminarians made from 500 to 700 meals and packaged about 500 boxes of dry food items.

“I truly did not know how many people were in need of basic necessities such as food,” said Johnson, who is in 4th College. The outreach “really put into perspective of what is truly important to the Catholic faith – to help one another.”

The experience also gave him an added perspective about his vocation to priesthood. “Being a priest to me means that we are there to help people who are in very different situations, and to show them the compassion and love that Jesus has for them,” Johnson said. “Working here also taught me the vast importance of community outreach and how an idea of serving people food can make such a different in so many lives.”

By Mary Stadnyk, associate editor January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 13

In focus

Social service agencies rise to meet pandemic’s cascading effects

BY MARY CLIFFORD MORRELL  Contributing Editor

A

s the COVID-19 pandemic reaches into the new year, a cascade of problems continues to affect individuals, families and the social service and charitable agencies that are working hard to assist them.

The reality of the past 10 months is one of heightened concern, shared Marlene Laó-Collins, Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton executive director, as the agency sees clients losing their jobs or their businesses, which lead them to seek help at food pantries or apply for assistance with utilities or rent. Many of these clients were already having a hard time making ends meet.

Others are new to the struggle, with some being donors who are now clients.

“It’s a serious problem,” she stressed.  “Some went For agencies like Project Paul, Keansburg, which runs a food pantry, thrift from having shop and furniture store, the challenge two or three has been significant, at times threatening ability to meet the ever-growing jobs to having their need of those out of work or living in none.”  poverty.

Project Paul also assists hundreds of families to stay in their homes by providing assistance with rent to qualified families, but rental assistance was no longer available by the end of 2020.

Sal Cortale, executive director, pointed out that the number 14 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

Clients line up outside the Freehold Area Open Door for food items.

Those in line arrived three hours before the nonprofit agency opened its doors that morning. Photo

of volunteers – critical to the success of the agency’s programs – has decreased by 50 percent. “Most Project Paul volunteers are courtesy of Margie Golden retirees over age 64, who being high risk, didn’t want to take a chance,” he said.

“Some who were willing to come back after the three-month shutdown did not because their families pressured them to stay home,” said Kathy West, director of client services.

“Volunteers who remain are working much harder,” Cortale added.

The situation in Mount Carmel Guild, Trenton, has been similar. “All our volunteers were retirees, and we were extremely concerned about their safety,” said Mary Inkrot, executive director. She asked the volunteers to stay home, making it mandatory so they didn’t feel bad about not being able to serve.

The Guild’s poverty-reduction work focuses on its food pantry, which since April 2019, has been in a partnership with

ADVOCATE

HOW YOU CAN HELP  A woman walks through a park in Trenton after collecting a turkey and other items from a local food line. Rich Hundley photo

Contact state and federal representatives and ask what they are doing to help tenants at risk of eviction due to COVID-19-related job losses or health issues, and landlords who are struggling due to loss of rental income. For an alphabetical list of New Jersey’s legislators, go to https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/abcroster.asp.

DONATE

Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton: To donate for housing and food needs, www.catholiccharitiestrenton. org/ways-to-give

Mount Carmel Guild: To help, mtcarmelguild.org Project Paul: To volunteer or donate, www.projpaul.org St. Vincent de Paul Society: To help any of the 47 SVDP conferences in the Diocese of Trenton, svdptrenton.org St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral: To help with food donations or its community partners, www.strobert.com PRAY

Pope Francis reminds the faithful that the whole Church has the mission of interceding for all, especially for those who suffer: “We are all leaves on the same tree: each one that falls reminds us of the great piety that must be nourished in prayer, for one another.”  Volunteers at St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, sort and pack food that has been donated for the nearby Freehold Area Open Door, a nonprofit that helps provide emergency food and funding for its clients.

The Co-Cathedral remains an emergency drop-off site for food donations for the agency. Photo courtesy of Margie Golden out their homes. Donations to the shops increased, though monetary donations are down about 25 percent.

It is understandable given the uncertainty of living in the middle of a pandemic, with financial collapse looming for many businesses and job losses Continued on 31

Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton, benefitting clients from both agencies. The Guild is sometimes able to help with utility and prescription assistance. Catholic Charities offers a broader range of services, so with CCDOT staff on site at the Guild, they are able to connect clients of the joint food pantry to wraparound services that might be needed.

With the dearth of volunteers and the growing number of clients, including many new people, it is the staff that is filling in the gaps, Laó-Collins said, noting that she recently had to ask staff to take on the job of unloading trucks, which would normally have been done by volunteers.

Donations have been down as well. Cortale explained that donations to the thrift and furniture shops suffered a hit initially during the shutdown period, and revenue from both dropped. Once the sites were open again, “sales started to get back to what they were.”

Cortale attributed some of that to many people getting cabin fever, who then turned to cleaning

MOUNT CARMEL GUILD VOLUNTEER NOTES THE VALUE OF PRESENCE For the past nine years, Terri Olexa has volunteered in Mount Carmel Guild, Trenton. Her duties have run the gamut of office work, data entry, checking people in for the Thanksgiving food drive, gathering food to distribute and preparing for the gift exchange.

The pandemic has changed all that.

Terri Olexa misses As early as March, volunteers were told to stay working face to face home for their own safety. with Mount Carmel While numbers served continue to grow, care Guild clients. Courtesy photo receivers for the food distribution program no longer must register or go inside to pick out what they need.

Whoever comes to MCG for food, receives it – outside, prepackaged by staff.

In 2020, the Christmas gift shop experience, which always allowed families to pick out toys for their children, no longer relied on volunteer elves to assist with the shopping. Toys were selected by staff and distributed to families.

“This is a new and stressful kind of time,” said Olexa, who greatly misses serving as a volunteer.

But in spite of the many changes across the board, Olexa, who is a member of St. James Parish, Pennington, is encouraged by the outpouring of help from parishes – which is helping keep the food coffers filled and provided toys for Christmas. She applauded the many different ways people were Continued on 16

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 15

In Focus

BRICK FOOD PANTRY SEES NEED NEARLY TRIPLE DURING PANDEMIC The Helping Hands Ministry begun in 1982 at Epiphany Parish, Brick, has grown from a small food pantry to one that supported nearly 3,000 per year prior to the pandemic, or approximately 250 per month from Ocean and Monmouth Counties.

COVID-19 has changed the need dramatically, pushing numbers to almost 700 per month.

“We don’t require identification; we give food to anyone who says they need food,” said Helping Hands’ Claire Lebret. “Along with food, we provide clothing and household goods donated by the people of Epiphany [Parish].”

Thanks to the foresight of Father Michael Santangelo, pastor, the once small ministry was able to accommodate more patrons beginning two years ago with a move to the parish hall across the street. Deacon Ron Nowak and Epiphany’s Men’s Emmaus Group worked tirelessly to install sheetrock, shelving, move donated refrigerators and freezers, and designated storage areas throughout the building.

“The parishioners … have been so very generous with time, donations and encouragement,” Lebret said.

Parishioner Dan Dantoni and Cub Scout Pack 47, along with Pack 163 and Scouts BSA Boy Troop 47, organized its annual food drive for Helping Hands food pantry, a ministry assisted by volunteers of Epiphany Parish, Brick. After collecting door to door, they delivered approximately 1,000 nonperishable food bags. Courtesy photo

The pantry was recently featured on Fox News; Dana Perino, news analyst, hails from nearby Bay Head. To see the video, visit the parish Facebook page at www.facebook.com/The-Churchof-Epiphany.

By EmmaLee Italia, contributing editor

AT ST. GREGORY’S PANTRY, AN ECUMENICAL OUTREACH TO THE HUNGRY Thirty-five years ago, someone in need knocked on the door of St. Mary’s By The Sea Episcopal Church in Point Pleasant Beach looking for food for the family.

Seeing the desperate need, the church secretary went home, put together a box of staples from her own kitchen pantry and brought it to the person.

That act of kindness led the church’s deacon to lay the foundation of St. Gregory’s Pantry, and over the decades, the ecumenical emergency relief program has grown to include more than 10 participating churches and some 250 volunteers serving an average of 10,000 individuals a year.

Among the Catholic parishes that contribute are St. Peter, Point Pleasant Beach; St. Martha, Point Pleasant, and Sacred Heart, Bay Head.

These days, in response to COVID-19, a reduced crew of 75 volunteers distributes food curbside from the Atlantic Avenue side of the church five days a week from 10 a.m. to noon.

“Because no people are walking in, it’s necessary to call us, and we’ll prepare the order and deliver it or have them come for pick up,” said Sandra McIntyre, director of St. Gregory’s Pantry. She noted that the packages are prepared to serve families of one to 12.

“We have a list of foods they can pick from, and we keep in mind the cooking facilities available for each family. Some might only have a microwave to work with,” she said.

“We are very fortunate that our community is so giving,” McIntyre said, “We help everyone who calls.”

That sense of service and devotion, she said, is a hallmark of the community and reflects the united mission to assist families and individuals who need help.

By Lois Rogers, correspondent 16 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

MCG VOLUNTEER EAGER TO CONTINUE SERVICE Continued from 15

finding to be of service.

For example, she explained, while she couldn’t be present as a volunteer for Thanksgiving, she was able to purchase reusable bags filled by Pennington Quality Market with items requested by Mount Carmel Guild in a partnership planned to feed 900 families. The bags could be dropped off at her parish, or would be picked up by MCG at the Market.

She was glad for that opportunity, but, she said, “I enjoy giving my time. It’s more pleasurable and satisfying being social, and being face to face. Clients look for that. They ask for certain staff or volunteers. They appreciate conversation and personal interaction.”

Olexa continues to be hopeful that things will change back after the pandemic, though it may still be a bit different. When post-COVID format is established, she said, “there may be many new ways in which people will volunteer. All sorts of new possibilities may exist to match clients with services.”

Personally, she acknowledged, “Time is an important commodity. That’s something I’d like to continue to share.”

By Mary Clifford Morrell, contributing editor

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Diocese

To continue to support Catholic education in the Diocese of Trenton, visit Catholic Schools Have it All at www. leadinfaith.org.

Students share their enthusiasm for Catholic education with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., during an October 2019 visit to Holy Cross Academy, Rumson.

John Batkowski photo

Diocese’s #GivingTuesday appeal breaks records for school fundraising

BY JENNIFER MAURO  Managing Editor

W

hen it comes to believing in the unparalleled value of Catholic education, the Diocese of Trenton has something to celebrate.

The 2020 #GivingTuesday charitable appeal raised more than $100,000 – the Diocese’s most successful outreach to Catholic school supporters to date.

“We have raised more at this point than we did the entire previous school year!” said Christine Prete, associate director of development operations for the Diocese. “We have doubled the number of donors and tripled the number of dollars raised.” #GivingTuesday, which fell on Dec. 1, is an annual, global crowdfunding campaign that occurs on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. In the Diocese of Trenton, supporters are asked to make a donation, commit to volunteer for their Catholic school or offer prayers for the mission of Catholic education. All funds raised go directly to participants’ school of choice

or to the diocesan Department of Catholic Schools for broader tuition or program assistance.

As of Dec. 30, $102,000 in funds had been raised for the 29 schools that participated.

The highest donation made was a $10,000 match by a single anonymous donor, with an average donation of $126.

Holy Cross Academy, Rumson, was among the Catholic schools to experience

 “We are thrilled to share in the excitement and success the whole Diocese had this year.”  unprecedented success. Charissa Keavey, president of the school’s Board of Delegated Responsibility, noted that the academy launched its annual fund in conjunction with #GivingTuesday, with unexpected results.

“Last year, Holy Cross Academy raised $1,345 during its #GivingTuesday

18 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

campaign,” she said. “As of this writing, we have raised $33,550 – almost 25 times our prior year’s raise! We are thrilled to share in the excitement and success the whole Diocese had this year.”

Holy Cross Academy’s receiving the anonymous $10,000 match helped build enthusiasm in the days leading up to #GivingTuesday, she said.

“We reached out to all constituents in the school community – present and past parents, staff and faculty, alumni, grandparents, parishioners and friends – and we stressed how much participation mattered, no matter the size of the gift,” Keavey said.

In addition, she said, “We could not have made it happen without the legwork of the Diocese’s Department of Development. They took on the expense and back office workload of setting up the donation pages for schools, hosted webinars and gave schools a toolkit that laid out a plan for success.

“We followed the plan in the diocesan toolkit almost to the letter,” Keavey said.

Indeed, though 2020 was the third Continued on 37

Diocese

Clergy appointments announced

Ministrare Non Ministrari

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has announced the following clergy appointments effective Dec. 20, 2020: Rev. Carlos Aguirre, Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, promoted from administrator to pastor.

Rev. Carlos Florez, St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville, promoted from administrator to pastor.

Rev. Miguel Valle, St. Paul Parish, Princeton, promoted from administrator to pastor.

RCIA TEAM TRAINING SERIES BEGINS FEB. 4 Persons who currently serve on Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults teams as well as new members can learn new ways to approach their ministry of preparing newcomers to the Catholic faith during a four-part online training program to be offered in February.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we do RCIA in parishes, and it can be challenging for many of us to accept this change,” said Denise Contino, director of the diocesan Department of Catechesis.

Prior to the pandemic, RCIA training provided by the Diocese has consisted mostly of in-person gatherings at a designated location with presentations given by diocesan personnel as well as qualified, nationally known speakers who are experts in the RCIA field. Since the onset of the pandemic last March, RCIA training for team members has shifted to a virtual platform.

Using the theme, “Leading Seekers to Conversion through RCIA,” the four trainings, to be offered Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., will focus on the

following topics: “RCIA Will Never Be the Same Again”; “The Awe-Inspiriting Rites of RCIA and How Do We Do Them Well Even in a Pandemic?”; “How Do We View the Parish as the Curriculum?” and “Is RCIA More Than Catechesis, Is It a Field Hospital for Faith?”

Facilitating the series will be Nick Wagner and Diana Macalintal, founders and co-directors of TeamRCIA.com, a free online resource for catechumenate ministry.

The topics, Contino said, “will expand our knowledge and help us come together as a community in the Diocese of Trenton to grow in our understanding of this process. This training will offer options to teams to be able to think differently and offer their community of seekers a process that will work for them.”

There is no fee to participate in the training, but registration is required. To register, visit dioceseoftrenton.org/rcia-team-training. Videos and material will be emailed to all participants prior to each session.

By Mary Stadnyk, associate editor

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Vocations

Three men called to candidacy for priesthood during annual seminarian gathering

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

T

he gift of the call to priesthood was celebrated in a special way when three seminarians of the Diocese of Trenton marked a major step in their formation during a recent Mass with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.

 “These gatherings help to maintain great cohesion.”  Wynne Kerridge, Brian Meinders and Tomás Villacis participated in the Rite of Admission to Candidacy, in which they stood before the Bishop to officially declare their intention to pursue formation for the Sacrament of Holy Orders to serve as priests for the Diocese.

The liturgical rite was part of the annual seminarian Christmas Mass and dinner, observed this year under strict pandemic precautions. The Dec. 4 event brought together most of the 13 seminarians currently in formation for a time of spirituality and fellowship. The gathering provides an opportunity for the men

to spend time with their bishop, and to reconnect since they attend one of two schools – Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md., and St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa. “My dear seminarians, God has called you, invited you to follow the Lord Jesus to the priesthood, as he did St. John Damascene,” the Bishop said in his homily, referring to the saint who is one of the great Doctors of the Church and whose feast was celebrated that day.

“I don’t know if we have any future ‘Doctors of the Church’ in this crowd, but each of you have been loaned gifts and talents to follow your call,” the Bishop said. “At this point in your life, you realize you are part of something bigger than yourself. It’s called God’s plan. God always gives us everything we need to do what he has called us to do.”

Concelebrating the Mass were Msgr.

Thomas Mullelly, episcopal vicar for clergy and consecrated life and director of seminarians; Father Jason Parzynski, diocesan director of vocations, and Father Daniel Swift and Father Garry Koch, both of whom serve as assistant directors of vocations for the Diocese.

For Villacis, gathering with his fellow

seminarians and the Diocese’s shepherd to celebrate Advent and Christmas was a blessing. The 1st Theology student attending Mount St. Mary said of the Bishop, “His support and guidance are always a great source of consolation. What better way to remember the Birth of Our Lord than to come together as one Church?”

Anthony Gentile, a 4th College student in St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, expressed appreciation for how the Bishop “really makes himself present to us. He’s like a father figure, and the Advent dinner is a generous display of fatherhood.”

“These gatherings help to maintain great cohesion” among the Diocese’s seminarians, Gentile added.

“We all study for the same Diocese, and that’s something special. Being able to gather throughout the year reminds us that we are in this together. It really reminded me how much we are cared for, that we are really loved and appreciated, and that there are people in our corner rooting for us, who want us to do well and succeed.”

For more photos, visit TrentonMonitor.com> Multimedia>Photo Galleries

Bishop O’Connell presides over the Rite of Admission to Candidacy in which seminarians from left, Wynne Kerridge, Brian Meinders and Tomás Villacis, officially declared their intentions to pursue formation for the Sacrament of Holy Orders to serve as priests for the Diocese. Joe Moore photo 20 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

Vocations Joseph V. Montone of St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, is presented with a paten and chalice as he is installed as an acolyte by Bishop O’Connell.

Following in

St. Stephen’s Footsteps Bishop advances 26 deacon candidates in formation process

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

O

ne of the reasons Richard A. Gerbino wants to become a deacon is to help others who are searching for something more in life, especially when it comes to matters of the faith.

“I believe there are a great many people who are searching for something that’s missing, who want to believe, who want to have faith. Even though they may be sitting in the pews on Sunday, [they] have doubts and questions that are holding them back,” said Gerbino, one of 11 men admitted as a deacon candidate by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., during the Rite of Candidacy Dec. 11 in St. Ann Church, Lawrenceville.

“I also think many people have misconceptions about the Catholic faith and the Church,” said Gerbino of St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck. “It’s my hope that I will be perceived as an ordinary man, married with a family and a job. [That I will be] someone they can relate to and know that having a strong commitment to one’s faith does not get in the way of living our lives, but enhances it and completes it.”

The commitment to the Catholic faith and a strong desire

For more photos, visit

TrentonMonitor.com> One of 10 deacon candiMultimedia>Photo Galleries dates installed as a lector receives a Bible from Bishop O’Connell. Courtesy photos

to serve their parishes and the Diocese was evidenced in the 26 men who marked milestones in their diaconate formation journeys when they gathered with Bishop O’Connell during the Continued on 54

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 21

Respect Life Students from Red Bank Catholic High School attend the 2019 March for Life in Washington. Due to the pandemic, high school students across the Diocese will be making their pro-life voices heard in a different way in January – a friendly competition to collect items for mothers and fathers in need. File photo

‘We’re Not Going to Stop’ Diocese’s faithful find alternatives to make voices heard outside March for Life

BY LOIS ROGERS  Correspondent

A

n abundance of caution during the pandemic will keep the annual caravan of buses from parishes and schools in the Diocese from rolling toward Washington Jan. 29 for the annual March for Life.

It will not, however, stop the Diocese’s faithful from continuing to champion for life in all its stages.

Because of COVID-19, “There are a lot of concerns about having lots of people together,” said Father Richard Osborn, chaplain for the Monmouth County Respect Life Committee.

At the same time, there is also a great “need for us to pray and witness to the dignity of human life.”

“In a grace-filled way, we are making the best of a bad situation,” he said.

Father Osborn, parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish, Middletown, and fellow pro-life chaplains, educators, students and parishioners throughout the Diocese’s four counties are gearing up for a different approach to observe the 48th anniversary  “We want people of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that effectively legalized to hear our voice abortion across the United States. through prayers Instead of hundreds of the faithful traveling on buses to and witness.”  Washington, much emphasis is being placed on making the witness for life visible to the local community at-large, said Father James F. O’Neill, Ocean County’s Respect Life chaplain.

“On Jan. 29, we may not be able to safely go to Washington, but what we can do is pray, especially in public as one would do at the March for Life,” he said.

For example, Father O’Neill, pastor of St. John Parish, Lakehurst, said that a search is underway for locations in which parishioners can pray the Rosary safely along Route 70, located a 22 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

couple of blocks away from St. John Church.

At Our Lady, Queen of Peace Parish, Hainesport, the faithful will be able to gather socially distanced to pray the Rosary in front of the newly opened parish center. Respect Life flags and banners outside the church and the tolling of the church bell 48 times will project the fact that “we’ve been fighting [for life] for 48 years. We’re not going to stop just because of COVID,” said Father Joselito Noche, diocesan liaison for pro-life ministry and pastor of the Burlington County parish.

“We want people to be safe, and we want people to hear our voice through prayers and witness,” he said.

The longstanding tradition of Catholic school students being involved in the March for Life will continue, too. The Diocese has invited all Catholic high schools in the four counties to take part in a friendly competition in the weeks leading up to the March for Life. Staff from the diocesan Department of Catholic Schools will meet online with students in early January to launch a contest in which the schools will collect items mothers and fathers in need could use, such as diapers, baby bottles and blankets, food and more.

“I think in the modern Church it is so important to keep our students actively engaged in the pro-life movement because it affects everyone from birth to natural death,” said Dr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt, diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools.

“Yes, I’m disappointed that our students can’t participate in the March for Life in Washington. However, I am excited about the potential for even more students in the Diocese to take part in the commemoration by doing things locally in this contest format between schools.”

From the feedback religion teacher Deborah Flego is getting from Caseys for Life, the respect life club she moderates at Red Bank Catholic High School, some of the students are disappointed that they won’t be able to attend the march this year. It’s especially heartbreaking for the graduating seniors, she said.

“They were wanting to do something in January to keep Continued on 23

Respect Life

BISHOP CALLS FOR MONTH OF PRO-LIFE ACTIVITIES FROM STAFF REPORTS

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has set out a plan for “spiritual battle” throughout January in response to the anniversary of the legalization of abortion in the United States and the growing concern for the sanctity of the child in the womb. Through private prayer and virtual Masses, the faithful are asked to support the extensive prayer campaign aimed at ending the scourge of abortion.

“As the new year begins, there are many issues in society that challenge our Catholic moral and social teachings,” the Bishop said. “As a Diocese, as parishes, let us pray for an end to abortion, for the legal protection of the unborn and in thanksgiving to God for the gift of human life.”

The Diocese’s faithful are asked to pray a Rosary for life throughout the month of January. From Jan. 14-22, Bishop O’Connell will lead a daily broadcast of a “Novena to St. Joseph to End Abortion,” which will be published on all diocesan media outlets.

Bishop O’Connell calls for a Day of Fasting and Prayer on Jan. 22, the 48th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Parishes across the Diocese will join their counterparts across the nation in celebrating Masses for the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.

On Jan. 29, the Diocese will not sponsor or organize travel to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life because of the risk of spreading the COVID-19 infection. Instead, the Diocese encourages the faithful to keep a local focus by participating in a pre-recorded pro-life Mass, celebrated by the Bishop, beginning at 11 a.m.

Visit TrentonMonitor.com>News>Diocese for more information and links to these observances as well as youtube.com/trentondiocese.

Pro-life activists demonstrate in front of the Capitol in Washington during the 2019 March for Life. Jeff Bruno photo

MANY VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL MARCH FOR LIFE EVENTS FROM STAFF REPORTS

Due to the concern of COVID infection, the Diocese has asked that parishes and schools focus their advocacy efforts locally and avoid traveling to Washington for the national march.

However, barring new restrictions, national plans remain underway for the annual March for Life in Washington, scheduled for Jan. 29 on the National Mall. This year’s theme is “Together Strong: Life Unites!” and there will be opportunities to take part virtually.

Per the March for Life website, a pre-rally concert featuring Christian singer Matthew West will go forward from 11 a.m. to noon, followed immediately by the March for Life Rally until 1 p.m., with the march itself running from 1 to 4 p.m. The Annual Rose Dinner Gala will take place virtually from 7 to 9 p.m.

“We will continue to discern throughout this year what steps should be taken for the 2021 March for Life, and will share subsequent updates on our website and social media,” said Jeanne

Local faithful always on ready to be witnesses to life Continued from 22

their spirits up,” she said. However, “with the different high schools involved in a competition, they’ll get excited.”

A series of pro-life events at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, will take place Jan. 22 and Jan. 29, including school

wide rosaries. The students will also help plant 970 blue and pink flags on the lawn in the shape of a cross.

The number represents the number of lives lost to abortion in eight hours, said religion teacher Eileen Hart, who moderates the school’s Celebrate Life Club.

Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund.

Virtual plans or links for those who will not be traveling to Washington due to the pandemic will be announced on the March for Life website, https://marchforlife.org/national-march-for-life.

Locally, New Jersey Right to Life is planning its Pro-Life Rally in Trenton on Jan. 22, followed by a march through the city’s streets. More information and updates may be found at NJRTL.org.

At the national rally, a virtual address will be given by Tim Tebow, two-time national champion, first-round NFL draft pick and Heisman Trophy winner; Tebow will also address the Virtual Rose Dinner Gala, which will recognize 2021 Pro-Life Legacy Award winner Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus.

Marchers will be addressed in person by retired NFL player Benjamin Watson and his wife, Kirsten, who are authors, speakers, podcasters, movie producers and parents of seven. Also speaking in person will be Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, and J.D. Greear, president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Opening and closing prayers of the rally will be led by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, Archdiocese of Kansas City; and Cissy Graham Lynch, daughter of Franklin Graham and granddaughter of the late Rev. Billy Graham. The March for Life will be led by students of Christendom College, Front Royal, Va., carrying the banner, and students of Immanuel Lutheran School, Alexandria, Va., who will carry the flags.

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 23

Year of St. Joseph A Message from

BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M.

The ‘Year of St. Joseph’:

Looking to an accepting, loving father

H

is Holiness Pope Francis used the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary to declare the year ahead: beginning that day, Dec. 8, the “Year of St. Joseph,” her blessed spouse and the foster-father of the Lord Jesus.

In an apostolic letter released Dec. 8 entitled “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”), marking the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as “Patron of the Universal Church” by Blessed Pope Pius IX, Pope Francis indicated that the “aim of this apostolic letter is to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtue and his zeal.”

 “[The] aim of this apostolic letter is to increase our love for this great saint.”  The Holy Father noted that “after Mary, the Mother of God, no saint is mentioned more frequently in the papal magisterium than Joseph, her spouse. My predecessors reflected on the message contained in the limited information handed down by the Gospels in order to appreciate his central role in the history of salvation.”

Commenting on the apostolic letter, the Vatican News Office explained that “The Holy Father wrote “Patris corde” against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which, he says, has helped us see more clearly the importance of “ordinary” people who, though far from the limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day. In this, they resemble St.

Joseph, “the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence,” who nonetheless played “an incomparable role in the history of salvation.”

Throughout the document, the Holy Father describes St. Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father, a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.

In a separate decree, the Vatican Apostolic Penitentiary announced that a plenary indulgence is attached to the faithful who commemorate St. Joseph throughout his special year “with prayer and good works.”

The plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the Pope’s intentions) to Christians who, with a spirit detached from any sin, participate in the Year of St. Joseph on these occasions and manners indicated by the Apostolic Penitentiary:  The plenary indulgence is granted to those who will meditate for at least 30 minutes on the Lord’s Prayer, or take part in a Spiritual Retreat of at least one day that includes a meditation on St. Joseph.

“St. Joseph, an authentic man of faith, invites us,” the decree reads, “to rediscover our filial relationship with the Father, to renew fidelity to prayer, to listen and correspond with profound discernment to

24 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

God’s will.”  The indulgence can also be obtained by those who, following St. Joseph’s example, will perform a spiritual or corporal work of mercy. St. Joseph “encourages us to rediscover the value of silence, prudence and loyalty in carrying out our duties,” the decree notes.  The recitation of the Holy Rosary in families and among engaged couples is another way of obtaining indulgences, in order that “all Christian families may be stimulated to recreate the same atmosphere of intimate communion, love and prayer that was in the Holy Family.”  Everyone who entrusts their daily activity to the protection of St. Joseph, and every faithful who invokes the intercession of St. Joseph so that those seeking work can find dignifying work can also obtain the plenary indulgence. On May 1, 1955, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph “with the intent that the dignity of work be recognized by all, and that it inspires social life and laws, based on the fair distribution of rights and duties.”  The plenary indulgence is also granted to the faithful who will recite the Litany to St. Joseph (for the Latin tradition), or the Akathistos to St. Joseph (for the Byzantine tradition), or any other prayer to St. Joseph proper to the other liturgical traditions, for the persecuted Church ad intra and ad extra, and for the relief of all Christians suffering all forms of persecution. Because, the decree notes, “the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt shows us that God is there where man is in danger, where man suffers, where he runs

Intercessory prayers to St. Joseph for use during this year dedicated to him

St. Joseph is depicted in this stained glass window in St. Denis Church, Manasquan. File photo away, where he experiences rejection and abandonment.”

In addition to these, the Apostolic Penitentiary grants a plenary indulgence to the faithful who will recite any legitimately approved prayer or act of piety in honor of St. Joseph, for example, “To you, O blessed Joseph,” especially on “March 19, on May 1, the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, on St. Joseph’s Sunday (according to the Byzantine tradition) on the 19th of each month and every Wednesday, a day dedicated to the memory of the saint according to the Latin tradition.”

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, the gift of the plenary indulgence is also extended to the sick, the elderly, the dying and all those who for legitimate reasons are unable to leave their homes.

They, too, can obtain the plenary indulgences if they are detached from any sin and have the intention of fulfilling, as soon as possible, the three usual conditions and recite an act of piety in honor of St. Joseph, offering to God the pains and hardships of their lives.

The Diocese of Trenton will begin planning special opportunities to celebrate the universal patronage of St. Joseph throughout 2021.

For the full text of the apostolic letter, visit the online version of this message at TrentonMonitor.com>Bishop’s Corner.

In his Dec. 8, 2020, declaration of a “Year of St. Joseph” to mark the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph’s title “Patron of the Universal Church,” Pope Francis has encouraged Catholics throughout the world to join him in praying this prayer: Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life.

Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.

Other traditional prayers from the Church’s rich spiritual treasury are also recommended for our consideration: YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH PRAYER

To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our tribulation, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also.

Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, We humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.

O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.

As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; Shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example

and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.

Amen.

DAILY NOVENA PRAYER TO ST. JOSEPH

O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.

O St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord, so that having experienced here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers.

O St. Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Hold Him close in my name and kiss His fine head for me and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me. Amen.

CONSECRATION TO ST. JOSEPH

O dearest St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to thy honor and give myself to thee, that thou mayest always be my father, my protector, and my guide in the way of salvation.

Obtain for me a great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life. After thine example, may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

And do thou, O Blessed St. Joseph, pray for me that I may share in the peace and joy of thy holy death. Amen.

PRAYER BEFORE ADORATION, INVOKING ST. JOSEPH Dear Jesus, we believe that You are here, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament: that You see us, that You hear us. We adore You with profound reverence. We beg pardon for our sins and the grace to make this time of prayer fruitful.

Our Immaculate Mother, St. Joseph our Patron, Continued on 54

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 25

Conventual Franciscan Father José Guadalupe Matus-Castillo, parochial vicar in St. Junipero Serra Parish, Seaside Park, proclaims the Gospel during the Our Lady of Guadalupe Season of Remembrance Mass in Trenton’s Cathedral.

We Celebrate

Sharing the Light STORY BY LOIS ROGERS  Correspondent PHOTOS BY JEFF BRUNO

A

s the fifth annual journey of the Torches of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Las Antorchas Guadalupanas – drew to a close, Edward Michalak reflected on how though this year’s event differed than previous celebrations, the spirit remained the same.

Unlike the past four years’ culminating Msgr. Joseph rites, which drew upward of 1,000 joyous Roldan, Cathedral faithful to Trenton’s St. Mary of the Asrector, preaches the sumption Cathedral, this year’s procession homily. and Mass included only torch captains and some family members due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Although it is a somewhat muted celebration, that we still are able to have it allowed us to show our resilience,” said Michalak, one of torch 17 captains who gathered Dec. 5 in Trenton’s Cathedral for the Our Lady of Guadalupe Season of Remembrance Mass, which was livestreamed on all diocesan media outlets.

“We showed Cesar and Lucy Garcia and their children, of St. Ann Parish, Browns Mills, take part in the Las Antorchas Guadalupanas closing Mass.

26 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

that in spite of the public health crisis, we are able to talk about our faith and put it into action, especially this year in light of loved ones passing,” said Michalak of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown, who Mely Gonzalez of St. Mary of the captained the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, prepares Knights of Columto extinguish a torch. bus Burlington County torch for the third time in as many years.

He noted the special significance of the celebration’s added title this year – “A Season of Remembrance” – in which bereaved were invited to inscribe their loved one’s name on a virtual Wall of Remembrance on the Diocese of Trenton website. Those names were read from the ambo at both the torch opening Mass Oct. 31 and closing Mass.

In his homily, Msgr. Joseph Roldan, Cathedral rector, spoke of Our Lady of Guadalupe as the “Blessed Mother who comes to us to lead her to her son. … For so many people in need, she is a sign of hope, a sign of love,” he said, urging the faithful to “go back to the basics” by turning to her in these times of trial.

“We need to put our trust in her because we know she loves us,” said Msgr. Roldan, who celebrated the Mass. Concelebrating priests were Father Roberto Padilla, Cathedral parochial vicar; Msgr. John K. Dermond, a retired priest of the Diocese and former Cathedral rector, and Conventual Franciscan Father José Guadalupe Matus-Castillo, parochial vicar in St. Junipero Serra Parish, Seaside Park.

 MORE ONLINE: For extended coverage, visit TrentonMonitor.com> News>Diocese For dozens of photos, visit TrentonMonitor.com> Multimedia>Photo Galleries

Pope Francis A man helps to serve food to the needy in Berlin, Germany. CNS photo/ Annegret Hilse, Reuters

World Peace Day 2021 message:

Divert funds from weapons to fighting hunger VATICAN CITY  Appealing for a worldwide commitment to initiating a “culture of care” for one another and for the environment, Pope Francis again called on nations to divert money from their military budgets to create a global fund to end hunger and promote development in the world’s poorest nations.

“How many resources are spent on weaponry, especially nuclear weapons, that could be used for more significant priorities such as ensuring the safety of individuals, the promotion of peace and integral human development, the fight against poverty and the provision of health care,” he wrote in his message for World Peace Day 2021.

The Catholic Church celebrates World Peace Day Jan. 1; the Pope’s message was distributed to heads of state and government around the world.

The theme the Pope chose for the 2021 celebration was: “A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace.”

In his message, the Pope said the COVID-19 pandemic had aggravated “deeply interrelated crises like those of climate, food, the economy and migration” and caused “great suffering and hardship” for millions of people around the world.

Along with inspiring examples of selfless and generous assistance to others, especially on the part of health care and other “essential workers,” Pope Francis

said, the pandemic also brought “a surge in various forms of nationalism, racism and xenophobia, and wars and conflicts that bring only death and destruction in their wake.”

Working for the common good with a special commitment to helping the poor is part of a “culture of care” that can bring peace, stability and greater prosperity to all, he wrote. It is the only way “to combat the culture of indifference, waste and confrontation so prevalent in our time.”

The Church’s long history of defending human dignity and offering concrete assistance to individuals and communities, he said, led to the development of its social teaching, which elaborates a series of “principles, criteria and proposals that can serve as a ‘grammar’ of care: commitment to promoting the dignity of each human person, solidarity with the poor and vulnerable, the pursuit of the common good and concern for protection of creation.”

“When the barque of humanity, tossed by the storm of the current crisis, struggles to advance toward a calmer and more serene horizon,” he wrote, “the ‘rudder’ of human dignity and the ‘compass’ of fundamental social principles can enable us together to steer a sure course.”

Those principles, the Pope said, insist that each human being has rights and duties, that no person is discardable, that no one can thrive alone without harming

MORE FROM POPE FRANCIS ONLINE:  Pope encourages young people to pray together, support each other  Pontiff: Prayer can become superficial if the suffering are forgotten  Joy should be the hallmark of a Christian’s life, Pope says

 While humanity’s ruin is that everyone goes their own way, in the Nativity scene, everyone converges upon Jesus. 

@PONTIFEX DEC. 28, 2020

others and that everyone has a claim on the goods needed to live a dignified life.

Solidarity is a central aspect of a “culture of care,” he said. An attitude of solidarity sees other people not as obstacles or means to an end but “as our neighbors, companions on our journey, called like ourselves to partake of the banquet of life to which all are equally invited by God.”

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 27

Church Pope Francis gives the homily as he celebrates Mass on Christmas Eve in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

The Mass was not open to the general public and began at 7:30 p.m. local time so that the limited number of attendees could return home in time to observe Italy’s 10 p.m. curfew. CNS

Pope at Christmas: Jesus’ birth brings hope in troubling times

photo/Vincenzo Pinto, Reuters pool

BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES  Catholic News Service

T

he birth of Christ is a gift from God that brings people hope and courage in troubled times, Pope Francis said

For expanded coverage,

visit TrentonMonitor.com >NEWS>CHURCH

Christmas Eve. “Underlying all our strengths and weaknesses, stronger than all our past hurts and failures or our fears and concerns about the future, there is this great truth,” the Pope said in his homily Dec. 24 as he celebrated

SHARE HOPE, PROMOTE PEACE, GIVE VACCINE TO ALL VATICAN CITY  On a Christmas like no other, Pope Francis prayed for people who could not be with their families because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he urged everyone to recognize and help those who are suffering even more. From inside the Hall of Blessings above the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis delivered his Christmas message and his blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world). As announced by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, the solemn blessing included a plenary indulgence for everyone watching on television, listening by radio or following by computer. Because of Italy’s renewed lockdown to slow the spread of the virus, the Pope read his message in the presence of a representative group of about 50 people.

“May Christmas be an opportunity for all of us to rediscover the family as a cradle of life and faith,” the Pope said, “a place of acceptance and love, dialogue, forgiveness, fraternal solidarity and shared joy, a source of peace for all humanity.”

In a last-minute addition to his text, Pope Francis called for “vaccines for all,” especially the world’s most vulnerable people.

Catholic News Service Pope Francis delivers his Christmas message “urbi et orbi” (to the city and the world) from the Hall of Blessings at the Vatican Dec. 25.

CNS photo/Vatican Media

28 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

the nighttime liturgy. “God’s love for us does not, and never will, depend upon us. It is completely free love, pure grace.”

The traditional Christmas “midnight Mass” liturgy began much earlier than past years – at 7:30 p.m. local time – so that those invited to attend could get home in time to observe Italy’s 10 p.m. curfew.

The Pope celebrated a pared-down Christmas Mass at the Altar of the Chair in the back of the basilica. Some 200 people, including bishops and cardinals concelebrating, were present, all donning masks and observing social distancing regulations. The Mass began with the Christmas proclamation of Jesus’ birth, the “kalenda.”

The Pope then lifted a cloth, revealing a life-sized statue of the baby Jesus, which he reverently kissed and blessed with incense.

Despite the more subdued Christmas Mass, the poinsettias adorning the Altar of the Chair, with the sound of sacred music and the bells of St. Peter’s ringing during the “Glory to God” brought an air of joyful celebration.

In his homily, Pope Francis said Christ’s coming is like the birth of a child which is such a joyous and exciting occasion that it “makes us think nothing of weariness, discomfort and sleepless nights.”

“That is what Christmas is: the birth of Jesus is the ‘newness’ that enables us to be reborn each year and to find, in him, the strength needed to face every trial,” he said.

Church The Reynolds family of Valley Cottage, N.Y., pay a Christmas Eve visit through a glass window to the children’s great-grandmother at the Tolstoy Foundation Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. The Catholic Church will observe a special year dedicated to the family from March 19, 2021, to June 26, 2022.

CNS photo/Mike Segar, Reuters

Pope announces yearlong reflection on family, ‘Amoris Laetitia’

BY JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES  Catholic News Service

A

s the fifth anniversary of his apostolic exhortation “Amoris Laetitia” approaches, Pope Francis announced that the Catholic Church will dedicate more than a year to focusing on the family and conjugal love.

During his Sunday Angelus address Dec. 27, the Pope commemorated the Feast of the Holy Family and said that it served as a reminder “of the example of evangelizing with the family” as highlighted in his exhortation.

Beginning March 19, he said, the year of reflection on “Amoris Laetitia” will be an opportunity “to focus more closely on the contents of the document.”

“I invite everyone to take part in the initiatives that will be promoted during the year and that will be coordinated by the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life,” he added. “Let us entrust this journey, with families all over the world, to the Holy Family of Nazareth, in particular to St. Joseph, the devoted spouse and father.”

According to the dicastery’s website, the “Amoris Laetitia Family” year “aims to reach every family around the world through several spiritual, pastoral and cultural proposals that can be implemented within parishes, dioceses, universities, ecclesial movements and family associations.”

The dicastery said that the goals of the celebration include sharing the contents of the apostolic exhortation more widely, proclaiming the gift of the Sacrament of Mat

rimony and enabling families to “become active agents of the family apostolate.”

The “Amoris Laetitia Family” year will include forums, symposiums, video projects and catechesis as well as providing resources for family spirituality, pastoral formation and marriage preparation.

The commemoration will conclude June 26, 2022, “on the occasion of the World Meeting of Families in Rome,” the dicastery said.

Pope Francis already had declared a year of St. Joseph, which began Dec. 8 and ends Dec. 8, 2021.

In his Angelus talk, the Pope said that the Holy Family is a model in which “all families of the world can find their sure point of reference and sure inspiration.”

Through them, he said, “we are called to rediscover the educational value of the family unit; it must be founded on the love that always regenerates relationships,

opening up horizons of hope.”

Families can experience sincere communion when they live in prayer, when forgiveness prevails over discord and “when the daily harshness of life is softened by mutual tenderness and serene adherence to God’s will,” he added.

“I would like to say something to you: If you quarrel within the family, do not end the day without making peace,” the Pope said. “And do you know why? Because cold war, day after day, is extremely dangerous.

It does not help.”

Pope Francis also reflected on the theme of forgiveness during his Angelus address on the Feast of St. Stephen Dec. 26. Recalling St. Stephen’s martyrdom, the Pope said that although it may seem that his death was in vain, among those who witnessed and consented to his stoning was St. Paul, who eventually became “the greatest missionary in history.”

FAITHFUL CALLED TO CELEBRATE SACRED SCRIPTURE JAN. 24 In his September 2019 Apostolic Letter “Aperuit illis,” Pope Francis instituted ‘The Sunday of the Word of God’ to be held every year on the third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

For 2021, that is Jan. 24. It is a day to be dedicated to the celebration, reflection and dissemination of the Word.

A December statement by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments explains that the day is a way to help people “reawaken an awareness of the importance of Sacred Scripture for our lives as believers, beginning with its resonance in the liturgy which places us in living and permanent dialogue with God.” To learn more about ‘The Sunday of the Word of God’ and how the faithful can be active participants, visit https://www.usccb.org/committees/divine-worship/sundayword-god.

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 29

World & Nation

MORE ON TRENTONMONITOR.COM:  Is it morally permissible to take the COVID-19 vaccine?  Moral guidance regarding vaccines and COVID-19  U.S. Bishops: Getting COVID-19 vaccine is ‘act of charity,’ supports the common good  Without alternatives, current COVID-19 vaccines are morally acceptable, Vatican says

For expanded coverage,

An elderly woman receives the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a nursing home in Burgbernheim, Germany, Dec. 28, 2020. CNS photo/Hannibal Hanschke, Reuters

visit TrentonMonitor.com >NEWS>WORLD & NATION

Vatican calls for equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution JUNNO AROCHO ESTEVES  Catholic News Service

T

he Vatican’s coronavirus commission and the Pontifical Academy for Life issued a joint statement calling for a coordinated international effort to ensure the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.

The document highlights the “critical role of vaccines to defeat the pandemic, not just for individual personal health but to protect the health of all,” the Vatican said in a statement accompanying the document Dec. 29.

“The Vatican commission and the Pontifical Academy of Life remind world leaders that vaccines must be provided to all fairly and equitably, prioritizing those most in need,” the Vatican said.

The pandemic has exacerbated “a triple threat of simultaneous and interconnected health, economic and socio-ecological crises that are disproportionately impacting the poor and the vulnerable,” the document said. “As we move toward a just recovery, we must ensure that immediate cures for the crises become stepping-stones to a more just society, with an inclusive and interdependent set of systems.”

Pope Francis established the COVID-19 commission in April with the goal of expressing “the church’s concern and love for the entire human family in the face of the of COVID-19 pandemic.”

Led by Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the com30 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

mission is tasked with collaborating with other Vatican offices to coordinate its work, including “an analysis and a reflection on the socioeconomic and culture challenges of the future and proposed guidelines to address them.”

Cardinal Turkson said that while the Vatican is grateful for the scientific community’s speedy development of the vaccine, it is “now up to us to ensure that it is available to all, especially the most vulnerable.”

“It is a matter of justice,” he said. “This is the time to show we are one human family.”

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said his office is working with the commission to address the ethical issues regarding the vaccines’ development and distribution.

The joint document reiterated the points made Dec. 21 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding the moral implications of receiving COVID-19 vaccines that were developed or tested using cell lines originating from aborted fetuses.

It also cited the congregation’s 2008 instruction, “Dignitas Personae,” which states that “grave reasons may be morally proportionate to justify the use of such biological material.”

The Pontifical Academy for Life, the document said, also has addressed the issue of developing vaccines using tissue from aborted fetuses; while it called for a “commitment to ensuring that every vaccine has no connection in its preparation to any material originating from an abortion,” it also said that “the Continued on 55

HOUSING COMPLICATIONS Continued from 13

In fact, new research led by UCLA’s Dr. Kathryn Leifheit indicates that the earlier lifting of eviction moratoriums in 27 states, which likely increased household crowding and decreased the ability for social distance guidelines, resulted in an estimated 433,700 additional cases of coronavirus as well as 10,700 more deaths nationwide.

In addition, many of those still facing eviction are also those who have no, or limited, health insurance.

In spite of limited rental and housing assistance, finding safe, appropriate housing for those in need is becoming more difficult, even when the option is a motel, Olden said.

Many motels have closed, others will not accept new guests, and placing people into congregate living, even if it means moving them in with family or friends, is putting people at risk for contracting COVID-19.

Laó-Collins recalled a time when the only housing options for clients meant placing families in motels, sometimes for as long as a year, everyone in one room, no kitchen, no place for kids to play. “The loss of family income, and the lack of safe and affordable housing are forcing us back to that time,” she said.

ROOTED IN THE GOSPEL

Reflecting on the work that’s needed – both short and long term – for those in danger of being evicted, Laó-Collins explained that Catholic Charities programs have expectations of their clients. “They meet us halfway, and we journey together toward a path where they gain confidence in being self-sufficient.”

“Our perspective as Catholics means there is dignity in every person, and value in a person working,” she said. “When they work, they are

making use of the gifts God has given them. It is part of our journey, also, to help them discover what these gifts are. Our programs are not intended to leave people in the same place they were when they came to us.

“We advocate for our clients to help them realize that potential and move forward. Even the most marginalized want the same thing – to be able to provide for themselves.

They don’t want constant handouts, they want to work and provide for their families.

“It is incumbent upon us to help them move in that direction,” she said.

RESOURCES SCARCE Continued from 15

being high. “A lot of people are concerned about life and death, and their jobs,” Cortale said.

CASCADE OF PROBLEMS

Joan Olden, president of the diocesan St. Vincent de Paul Society, reflected on the circumstances that are bringing increased numbers of individuals and families appealing for aid from parish conferences.

“At the start of the pandemic, we had churches and retail stores and restaurants closed; people who lost their jobs in the service or food industry or had their hours reduced will never recoup that time or money.

Some went from having two or three jobs to having none,” she said.

Others started to shop online or pay someone to do their food shopping because of an inherent fear of being outside the house, especially among those considered high risk, Olden recalled.

“This was a common thing that we began to hear; having someone in the household who was already dealing with a life-threatening health issue was even more compromised than those of us who were healthy,” she said, noting that “not everyone was comfortable coming

to a food pantry.”

Olden pointed out that the result of having families home on lockdown, working from home with children in the house was larger food bills. “Everyone was home and eating three meals a day. People who would never consider using a food pantry were using their savings to buy food,” she said.

Program administrators in many charitable and social service organizations have reported that financial donations have dropped since March.

Some people who would ordinarily donate were now out of work.

For others, said Olden, “it didn’t seem to be an issue of not wanting to donate, as much as it was a question of how to do it. [At the beginning], our churches were closed, hence no poor boxes and no collections.

“Most of our conferences do not have an office or a location address; parish bulletins became online only.

Not everyone has the ability to get their information via a computer, and some folks had no idea where to mail a check, and they certainly weren’t going out.”

This lack of mobility is not just related to quarantine. Many clients do not own cars and are limited in their ability to get to food pantries or social service offices.

This is the case in the Bayshore area, said Cortale, who explained that Project Paul has tried to ensure it offered “one-stop shopping. We always had someone from social services available on site, as well as someone from FulFill (former Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean County) one day a week to help clients apply for food stamps or affordable health care.”

COVID restrictions changed that, but also led to a new way to help those who need it. Since October, a newly purchased and retrofitted Fulfill Benefits Bus brings needed services to clients at various sites, including Project Paul, in an effort to

break the cycle of poverty.

COLLABORATION THE KEY

Margie Golden, coordinator of outreach ministries in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, stressed that during these times, “you have to be fluid and flexible according to needs and demands,” and with growing numbers of unemployed and those experiencing food scarcity, the needs and demands are rapidly changing.

Golden explained that, as COVID-19 took hold, many of the volunteers working in outreach ministries “had to step back,” for safety reasons.

But, she noted, “an amazing thing happened. People who had been laid off came out to volunteer. People who had never thought about it, stepped up.”

Today, with a core group of some 10 people, Golden coordinates, among other things, the food drop off at the Co-Cathedral. Seven days a week, donors may drop off food at the church, which will be unloaded and gathered into bags and boxes by volunteers for pickup by Freehold Area Open Door, an interfaith agency that provides emergency food, emergency funding, mentoring and scholarships to those in need from the Freehold area.

As a member of the Freehold Clergy Association, an interfaith group working to foster religious tolerance and cooperation, the Co-Cathedral would ordinarily participate in the Emergency Housing and Advocate Program, a project of FCA, to provide volunteers and shelter to the homeless during the winter.

Now, with COVID restrictions, said Golden, the winter program is on hold.

That means the homeless may be on the street, so the need now changes to coats and warm blankets. Golden, who stressed the “importance of networking and resourcing up,” is working closely with the Knights of Columbus to fill those needs.

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 31

Catholic Schools

Week

Catholic Schools Week 2021

Entering its 47th year, Catholic Schools Week, slated for Jan. 31-Feb. 6, marks an annual celebration of Catholic education across the nation.

More than ever before, Catholic Schools Week – which has as its 2021 theme “Catholic Schools: Faith.

Excellence. Service.” – will mark all that is essential for forming intelligent and faithful citizens for the future.

In the Diocese of Trenton, schools typically observe the week with Masses, assemblies and other activities for students, families, parishioners and the community. Celebrations and events will still take place, though mostly virtually, to highlight that in the Diocese of Trenton and beyond, Catholics schools truly do have it all!

Visit TrentonMonitor.com over the coming weeks for information on CSW events and latest news. And don’t forget to check out the February issue of The Monitor Magazine for expanded coverage on how our schools celebrated and how they continue to embrace new technologies and safety protocols to not only keep up the pace, but exceed academic standards!

Looking for more information about Catholic schools in the Diocese of Trenton?

Visit The Monitor online to find a Catholic school open house or virtual tour near you!

Go To TrentonMonitor.com> News>Schools

32 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

Catholic schools

W

elcome to All that is RIGHT in Catholic Schools.

As the superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Trenton, I am so excited to relate all that our schools have to offer. From the schools located in our shore communities to those serving A Message from the areas along our DR. VINCENT DE western border, the PAUL SCHMIDT Catholic schools in Superintendent of Catholic Schools the Diocese of Trenton are the perfect place to experience real and lived Gospel values, along with high academic achievement EVERY DAY ! Catholic Schools Week is when we choose to showcase our schools in this light.

The COVID pandemic nationally has put the educational system under stress like never before in memory. I am so proud of our schools, and their leaders, who have never wavered from their most important responsibility: that of making sure our schools were open and living the Catholic mission daily for the sake of the children they serve.

Having said that, the reason our schools have stayed open with minimal disruption is the sense of community that has been brought to the fore. Every parent, teacher and student has come together to work to make our schools safe and centers of real academic achievement and learning. The deep  “Our students sense of community that been galvanized during are role models.”  has this pandemic is one of the residual effects that I am most proud to see come to light.

When I first arrived in New Jersey, I said you would hear me speak of Pope Francis, a Jesuit, who implores all Catholics to embrace the Ignatian ideal of becoming “men and women for others.” My prayer was for all in the Catholic school community of the four counties of the Diocese of Trenton to be the embodiment of that ideal. I am confident in saying that we, as a school community, are on our way to making that a reality. I see it in every Catholic school I visit.

Our schools have met not only the call of the needs of the students, but also of the communities as a whole. The needs Students of St. Jerome School, West Long Branch, participate in the 2020 Mass for Catholic Schools Week, before the start of the pandemic. Catholic education throughout the Diocese instills a love of service, both in church and in the wider community, as part of its kaleidoscope of academic instruction. Rich Hundley photo

in Diocese live the Gospel values might be spiritual. The needs might be educational. The needs might be social. The need might be a meal to eat or a shoulder just to cry on. The call is now; the call is real. The call is loud.

Our Catholic schools have stepped up to serve others and help out whenever/wherever there is a need.

To achieve a true Catholic education that serves all requires that we, simply, teach and live the faith. Our Catholic schools live out Gospel values. Pope Francis focuses on faith and service.

Our educational staffs work hard every day to support this mission and do the same.

Many of the Catholic schools in this Diocese are poised to take off into unprecedented areas of academic growth and rigor along with an increased focus on Catholic identity. Our schools have committed teams that are dedicated to leading all students to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, strong academic achievement, personal growth in the areas of social awareness and social responsibility, and a sense of self-reliance steeped in a

set of values that can only come from a mission-driven, faithfilled community. This is never on display more than during Catholic Schools Week!

Our students are just starting the journey into young adulthood within their faith, and our students are role models who are proof positive of what can be achieved by putting one’s self second. Men and women for others … just as Jesus did throughout his ministry and what Pope Francis is calling us to do. It is on display in our Catholic Schools EVERY DAY !

Thank you for allowing our Catholic Schools the privilege of educating the children of the Diocese of Trenton.

With Warmest Regards,

Vincent de Paul Schmidt, Ed.D.

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 33

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January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 35

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CHRISTIAN SERVICE Learning to serve. Serving to learn.

Students lead projects inspired by our call to serve others in need, continuing the 130+ year CCHS mission of Mercy.

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Weekly all-school meetings focus on worship, student testimonials, recognitions and knowledge sharing.

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The CCHS student population mirrors our global society. Students of many varied backgrounds and cultures learn together, and learn from one another as they form one Camden Catholic community.

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Virtual visits.

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And anytime.

#GIVINGTUESDAY A SUCCESS Continued from 18

PAUL VI HIGH SCHOOL

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“Meet the Coaches”

WHY GEORGIAN COURT? Values-based Education Learn and live our Mercy values of respect, justice, compassion, service, and integrity.

Affordability More than 98% of our students receive generous financial aid.

year the Diocese has participated in #GivingTuesday, the diocesan Department of Development launched a rebranding effort in its ongoing desire to foster relationships with Catholic schools and help in their advancement. With 2020-21 being the first full year of new branding, the annual Catholic Alumni Partnership effort has become Catholic Schools Have it All. #GivingTuesday is the first appeal for the 2020-21 campaign. Two more will follow in the coming months.

“We realized through research and conversations that we needed to broaden our reach beyond alumni,” Prete said. “Our Catholic schools receive spiritual and financial support of several additional constituent groups. ‘Catholic Schools Have it All’ more clearly represents these additional supporters who have a passion for Catholic Education.”

Those in St. Joan of Arc School, Marlton, say they are grateful for the Diocese’s help, which in addition to again having access to a #GivingTuesday promotional toolkit, included for the first time the crafting of a #GivingTuesday mailer and thank you letter to donors by diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Schools Dr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt. Schools could also connect with Prete and staff via online video platforms.

“Last year, we only raised a fraction of what we were able to rase this year on #GivingTuesday,” said Mary Clare Brandt, St. Joan of Arc School’s director of admissions and marketing.

The school raised less than $1,000 in 2019, but almost $4,500 in 2020. Funds will largely go toward purchasing Chromebooks for each student as well as tuition assistance.

“We are so blessed to have parishioners, alumni and families who are our extended family,” Brandt said. “We couldn’t do any of this without them.”

Keavey stressed that the funds raised for Holy Cross Academy will go where they are most needed – such as tuition assistance, ensuring stateof-the-art classrooms and more.

“To say that this year was unlike anything anyone anticipated is an obvious understatement. The pandemic has affected everyone,” she said.

“One of the things it may have also done is magnify the gifts that are right in front of us – one of those gifts being Catholic education. It has become clear to many people that as the world gets more complicated, Catholic schools provide a foundation for life that is unmatched,” Keavey said.

With two more appeals planned for February and April 2021, Prete hopes the partnership between the Diocese and its schools “will continue to more effectively engage the various constituents and integrate them into our Catholic school family of supporters.”

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January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 37

El Año de San José

ilumina cualidades del santo

E

n la ocasión de la Solemnidad de la Inmaculada Concepción en diciembre, el papa Francisco anunció el arranque de un nuevo año especial para la Iglesia Católica universal, el Año de San José. En una carta apostólica del 8 de diciembre, "Patris Corde" ("Con corazón de padre" en latín), el papa dijo que los cristianos pueden descubrir en San José, que a menudo pasa desapercibido, "un intercesor, un apoyo y un guía en tiempos de problemas".

"San José nos recuerda que los que aparecen ocultos o en las sombras pueden jugar un papel incomparable en la historia de la salvación", dijo el Santo Padre.

Siguió que como esposo de María y guardián del Hijo de Dios, San José convirtió "su vocación humana al amor doméstico en una oblación sobrehumana de sí mismo, de su corazón y de todas sus capacidades, un amor puesto al servicio del Mesías que iba madurando en su casa".

Para todos de la Diócesis de Trenton, el Año de San José y el ejemplo del padre adoptivo de Jesucristo ofrecen mucho para la vida cotidiana. Aquí compartimos algunas reflexiones generosas:

Jorge Montana, Parroquia San José, Toms River Este San José Amigo, Padre y Esposo, me lleva a pensar que su actitud nos podría motivar a:  Amar a nuestra esposa sin

límites hasta conseguir un amor que no defraude la confianza.  Entregarnos a la educación de

nuestros hijos en una vida plena de prudencia y justicia.  Superar todas las situaciones que se presenten en nuestro camino con fortaleza, sin dejar de lado que Dios nos guía y es luz cuando no nos falte la fe y la esperanza.

Andrés Luna, Parroquia Santa Ana, Browns Mills ¡El Señor San José, como mi mamá lo llamaba! Mi mamá fue muy devota a él. En el pueblo donde ella crio a mis hermanos mayores, no había iglesia. La más cercana a unos 10 kilómetros, los cuales había que caminar, era una donde el santo patrón fue San José. Por eso, ella siempre me lo mostró como el padre perfecto, y cómo no. Si fue el padre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.

Cuando Dios me dio la dicha de ser padre, él se convirtió en el modelo a seguir, por la manera en que él hizo todo lo necesario para proteger a Jesús y la Virgen María.

Necesitamos a muchos San Josés en nuestra sociedad, para que nuestros padres actuales no abandonen a la familia al menor problema que se presente.

Roberto Juárez, Parroquia San José, Trenton Más que nada lo que San José mostró fue mucha obediencia, pero lo principal fue su ejemplo de fe. La fe que tuvo de poder seguir la voluntad de Dios para seguir adelante. Estuvo dispuesto a caminar como la Sagrada Familia. Tuvo que andar de un país a otro y obviamente no era fácil en aquellos tiempos. Entonces, me enseña que tenemos que confiar en Dios siempre y tener fe en lo que Él nos dice a nosotros y ser obedientes. Roberto con su esposa Rosalba Marquez 38 REVISTA EL MONITOR  Enero 2021

El Anzuelo

Mauricio Bacuilima, Parroquia San Antonio de Padua, Hightstown Para mí, San José es un ejemplo de obediencia y entrega total a Dios por la familia de como uno tiene que proteger a su esposa e hijos sin importar algunas situaciones.

Por ejemplo económicas… solo dejar todo en las manos de Dios y confiar que todas las adversidades pasaran pronto si confiamos en El que todo lo puede.

Oración: Señor Jesús, te pido que me des la sabiduría de San José para proteger a mis hijos cuando estén en cualquier peligro.

Aquí con su hijo Joseph

Padre Scott Shaffer, Parroquia San José, Toms River San José era un hombre que miraba, escuchaba y oraba… y, entonces, actuaba.

Yo pienso que estas cualidades son esenciales para nosotros que servimos como padres espirituales en nuestras parroquias para facilitar un liderazgo eficaz.

Enrique Cortes, Parroquia Madre de la Misericordia, Asbury Park

Nelson Rivera, Parroquia San Antonio de Padua, Hightstown Como ejemplo de San José, la obediencia, siendo el padre adoptivo, custodio y protegió a Jesús desde que estaba en el vientre materno, teniendo que huir y pasar muchas necesidades, ejemplo de humildad y confianza total a la voluntad de Dios. Y papa hoy en día la familia y la vida de los inocentes está siendo atacada con tanta furia, el ejemplo de San José nos enseña a ser hombres que nos levantemos también en defensa de lo más sagrado que Dios creó, la vida.

Lo poco que conozco de José es que él era un hombre justo, practicaba su religión y fue obediente al mandato del Señor por medio de los ángeles y muy valiente al respaldar a María embarazada para protegerla. Lo más importante para mí es que siempre estaba pendiente de Jesús y le enseñaba su profesión, religión, obediencia y respeto, algo que casi no se ve y todo eso lo enseñaba por medio de su ejemplo. Por eso es muy importante hacer lo que predicamos. Para mí, el ejemplo de San José ma llama a enseñar a mis hijos nuestra religión y asistir todos los domingos a Misa. Por medio de eso, ellos van a tener su fe edificada en una piedra y, por medio de mi ejemplo, enseñarles a tratar al prójimo como quieren que a ellos se les trate.

Enero 2021  REVISTA EL MONITOR 39

El Anzuelo

El Buen Samaritano en el tiempo del COVID Alberto Billini, MS, LCADC, CJC, es feligrés de la Parroquia San Antonio de Padua, Hightstown.

Ha facilitado talleres de RICA para la Diócesis y la Catedral. Trabaja como consejero con enfoque en adicciones y crisis para Capital Health, Henry J. Austin Health Clinic en Trenton y más. Es educador y mantiene su propio consultorio también.

E

s difícil para muchos de nosotros conseguir ayuda que venga de fuentes que sean confidenciales y gratuitas. A veces queremos ayudar y, por una razón, el temor nos paraliza, pero si nosotros nos armamos de información que podemos proveer a los demás que se encuentren necesitados, estamos ayudando  Salgamos tanto como de nuestra aquellos que están al frente burbuja y haciendo sensibilicémonos trabajos que quizás nosotros a lo que sucede no podemos o no estamos alrededor... capacitados.

La resistencia de nuestras comunidades latinas frente a lo que hemos sufrido es increíble. Para muchos de nosotros no solo tenemos que vivir con el temor de enfermarse con el coronavirus COVID-19, llega aún más

www. PecesdeTrenton.com

NOTICIERO DIGITAL EN ESPAÑOL DE LA DIÓCESIS DE TRENTON 40 REVISTA EL MONITOR  Enero 2021

lejos porque muchos nos encontramos en un país extranjero donde no tenemos familias. No conocemos el idioma. No nos podemos transportar fácilmente y no queremos pedir asistencia por temor a ser deportados o descubiertos de vivir “indocumentados e ilegales”, como a veces somos llamados.

He visto y oído de casos donde muchos latinos y latinas han sufrido la pérdida de un familiar querido y cercano por no saber cómo actuar o navegar este sistema político-social que no nos inspira confianza y recurrimos a tradiciones y recursos que están más allá del verdadero cuidado que necesita una persona que está padeciendo de este virus.

Una de las figuras más generosas que encontramos en la Biblia es la del buen samaritano, quien vemos que, a diferencia del sacerdote y el levita, se detiene, se acerca y ayuda al hombre desconocido que ve mal herido.

El samaritano fue movido a misericordia porque vio necesidad y supo que algo tenía que hacer. Así es como nosotros podemos ver y estar atentos, no ir por la vida con los ojos cerrados, porque hay demasiada necesidad en el mundo para quedarnos indiferentes. Salgamos de nuestra burbuja y sensibilicémonos a lo que sucede alrededor, porque no todos Lorenzo Ramírez recibe un abrazo de su hijo, Jesús, en el cementerio San Rafael en Ciudad Juárez, México, el 24 de dic., 2020. La esposa de Lorenzo, Laura Aguilar, falleció por el COVID-19.

Foto CNS/Jose Luis Gonzalez, Reuters

Alberto Billini recibió la vacuna para el COVID-19. Su letrero dice que lo hizo por el bien de los demás. Foto de cortesía

tienen nuestros privilegios y bendiciones. ¡Hay necesidad y debemos actuar!

Así como el samaritano ayudó y supo a dónde llevar al enfermo, así podemos nosotros informarnos de servicios disponibles en nuestras comunidades.

Seamos como el samaritano o el herido, ambos son papeles claves en el camino y el encuentro en medio de esta pandemia.

Si necesita ayuda o si busca ayudar a quienes la necesitan, comuníquese con:

Caridades Católicas en Lakewood 732-363-5322 El Centro de Recursos en Trenton 609-394-2056

El Anzuelo

Defensores de la vida son guerreros L

a expresión, “guerrero Mensaje del cultural”, se usa OBISPO DAVID M. en la conversación O’CONNELL, C.M. contemporánea para describir a personas que luchan por las causas que corren contra la corriente de los valores y preferencias, principal entre ellos, la protección de la vida humana en todas sus etapas desde la concepción hasta la vida natural. Parece muy poco que se habla o se escribe de ella de una manera positiva. Sin embargo, las personas llamadas “provida”, de hecho, han luchado de una manera significativa para convencer a sus oponentes y críticos que, como el papa san Juan Pablo II afirmó, “cuando algunas vidas incluyendo a las vidas por nacer pierden su valor por las opciones de otras personas, no se podrá garantizar ningún valor ni derecho por mucho tiempo”.

Nosotros sabemos que respetar la vida es un mandato humano que no se puede limitar a ningún mes ni día singular.

Es una causa de cada día y siempre que no solo pertenece a una creencia ni denominación religiosa. El papa Francisco ha dicho que “el aborto no es un problema religioso en el sentido de que, por ser católico, no debo buscar tener un aborto. Es un problema humano. Es un problema de eliminar una vida humana. Punto” (El papa Francisco en entrevista por periodista mexicana Valentina Alazraki”, 28 de mayo, 2019).

Sin embargo, para los católicos, respetar la vida, y de manera especial a los no nacidos, es intrínseca a nuestra identidad como pueblo de fe. No permite ninguna negación, ninguna excepción, ningún compromiso. Cada vida es querida, escogida, enviada.

“El aborto nunca es la respuesta. … La vida humana es sagrada e inviolable” (El papa Francisco, “Discurso a la conferencia ‘Sí a la Vida’, 25 de mayo, 2019).

En el año que viene, aquí en New Jersey, los legisladores contemplan promulgar lo que están llamando la “Acta de la Libertad Reproductiva”. Nuestro estado ya tiene unos de los derechos más permisos del país. Seguir en esa dirección es un procesamiento más de la negación total de la cultura contemporánea por la vida humana y está ocurriendo en nuestro estado.

Estemos claros. El aborto mata a niños, daña a mujeres y destruye sociedades. Leí una vez que la vida no garantiza nada, pero el aborto ni ofrece chances. Luchar en contra la “cultura de la muerte” mientras defendemos una “cultura de la vida” es una batalla que vale la pena en el mundo actual. Las personas no nacidas no tienen una voz. Nosotros, sí, la tenemos.

Jóvenes de la Parroquia Santa María de los PInos, Barnegat/Manahawkin, participan en la Marcha por la Vida en Washington, D.C., el año pasado.

Foto pescadora por Jeff Bruno

Estamos llamados a ser guerreros. En este Año de San José, el patrón de la Iglesia Universal y guardián de la Santa Madre mientras llevaba al Hijo de Dios en su vientre, los católicos deben orar por su intercesión para que la tragedia del aborto se acabe y que la vida de los más inocentes y vulnerables entre nosotros sea siempre defendida y protegida.

Escribe el obispo David M. O’Connell, C.M., que “Estemos claros. El aborto mata a niños, daña a mujeres y destruye sociedades. Leí una vez que la vida no garantiza nada, pero el aborto ni ofrece chances”.

Foto CNS/Martin Villar, Reuters

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Spiritual Life

‘Star of Wonder’ JAN. 3  THE MAGI POINT US TO THE MESSIAH

THE WORD

Is 60:1-6; Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2:1-12

T

he mysterious Magi, who appear in the Nativity creche in our homes and our churches, have an integral part in the entire Christmas narrative. Appearing only in Matthew’s account of the Nativity, they are known for their persistence with King Herod and for the presentation of their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Although tradition has given them names and a number, early Christian paintings number the Magi anywhere from two to 12. The Magi come from a tradition where they believed that the heavens bore witness to the actions of God in history. The appearance of a new celestial phenomenon piqued their attention and drew them to discern that Judea was the location of the birth of a king.

The Magi did not have an easy trek to Jerusalem. They would have needed to assemble their entourage, acquire their gifts and secure provisions for the journey.

They would have traveled over difficult terrain, though the Greco-Roman roads would have provided them with a direct route.

 “Herod did not suffer rivalry lightly.” 

Certainly, the arrival of these Magi in Jerusalem would have drawn attention.

Their importance as seers, men of wisdom and ambassadors, gave them credibility so that they would have been able to meet King Herod and to seek to honor his heir.

While Herod has three surviving sons, there is no newborn king in his lineage, so this child is immediately understood as a threat to his dynasty. Herod did not suffer rivalry lightly. He even murdered three of

Father Garry Koch

his sons when he perceived they might be a threat to him.

JAN. 10  WHAT BEGINS AT THE JORDAN RIVER FINDS ITS COMPLETION ON THE CROSS Is 42:1-4, 6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Mk 1:7-11

T

hroughout Advent, we focused on John the Baptizer pointing us to Jesus and announcing the coming of the Lord.

And now once again, the Baptizer foresees the coming of the Lord at the River Jordan as he prepares to baptize Jesus. But it is now when the Father proclaims to Jesus that: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Throughout the Gospels, and most clearly in John’s Gospel, Jesus stands as the face of God, the Son, pointing to the Father. Before he begins his public ministry, it is the Father who designates the Son and announces the Son as the herald of the Gospel.

Jesus, now already a middle-aged man, has spent his life in Galilee living in Nazareth and Capernaum where he worked in the building trade alongside Joseph. At some point, Jesus is drawn to the wilderness and the preaching of the Baptizer.

John, though he is preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah, does not share the message of the Messiah. His language is harsh and judgmental. He demands his followers to plunge into the Jordan as a sign of their repentance and desire to seek forgiveness of their sins. Jesus’ preaching, however, is more tempered.

Scholars debate how long Jesus was with John before the Baptism. Some believe Jesus was a disciple of John for some time, while many others, in keeping with the long-standing sense of the Church, maintain that Jesus merely came to John for the expressed and singular purpose of

42 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

inaugurating his public ministry.

Jesus is strengthened in his understanding of his divine Sonship through the Baptism. Each of us, as disciples of Jesus Christ, are also called to be a son or daughter of the Lord through our sharing in Baptism – a Baptism not borne of the Baptism of Jesus in water, but through the Baptism of his Passion, Death and Resurrection.

JAN. 17  RECOGNIZING THE LAMB OF GOD LEADS US TO EVANGELIZE OTHERS 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19; 1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20; Jn 1:35-42

A

gain we hear John the Baptizer pointing to Jesus as he proclaims the familiar: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

Though John had followers in the wilderness, there are two who understand his message, Andrew and John the beloved/ evangelist, both of whom ultimately leave the Baptizer and go on to follow Jesus. At first it would appear that Jesus would have none of this. He is curt and challenges about why they are following him. The two, in their boldness, go on to ask Jesus, “Rabbi, where are you staying?”

This question changes the entire demeanor of Jesus toward them. Their seemingly simple question opens to the

This depiction of the Epiphany is found in Epiphany Parish, Brick. Monitor file photo

very meaning of life itself – the quest for eternal life.

While John’s Gospel does not recount any of what Andrew and John the Beloved heard from Jesus that day, what they saw and heard caused them to go swiftly to Simon and tell him that they had found the Messiah. Andrew then brought his brother to Jesus.

In bringing Simon Peter to Jesus, Andrew sets the example by leading someone he loved to eternal life.

It is likely, however, that there is another important message that Mark is sending at the outset of Jesus’ ministry. If John, who stood in the wilderness baptizing and announcing the coming of the Messiah, is arrested, then what will become of the Messiah?

We can see that Mark uses the Baptizer as a precursor of Jesus in several ways, announcing his coming, in being arrested prior to the beginning of Jesus’ own ministry and then in his martyrdom, which foreshadows the Crucifixion.

JAN. 24  MARK CLUES US IN TO THE END OF THE GOSPEL AT THE BEGINNING

JAN. 31  JESUS TEACHES UNLIKE ANY RABBI BEFORE HIM

Jon 3:1-5, 10; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mk 1:14-20

Dt 18:15-20; 1 Cor 7:32-35; Mk 1:21-28

I

I

n a one-line prelude to the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, St. Mark notes: “After John had been arrested …”

Nothing of what we had read so far prepared us for John’s arrest. Mark’s comment, then, seems to serve a few purposes within the Gospel. First, it is a statement of fact, John was arrested. We learn later on as to why. Mark also wants us to see that John’s and Jesus’ ministries did not overlap. It is also likely important to note that John and Jesus are not seen as rivals.

Presumably, those who followed John are now following Jesus. They were prepared to heed the call of the Messiah, and now do so without abandoning John.

t might be startling to realize that it’s the demons who first recognize Jesus. While Mark does not give us a time frame from when Jesus first appeared on the scene proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God and the event we hear in this account of his teaching in the synagogue, we might expect that it all happened fairly quickly.

Likely, the people identified Jesus with the Baptizer and found his teaching interesting from the beginning. In order to hear the preaching of the Baptizer, one had to go to the wilderness. Jesus, instead, comes to the people. He begins at the shore of Lake Tiberius and the many small towns dotted along the coast. There, within sight

of the lake stood the synagogue.

Jesus has attracted enough attention to be invited to speak to the assembly on this Sabbath. As the synagogue rituals of that time were less formal than they are today, inviting this itinerant teacher to speak would not have been unusual. Typical of the teaching style would have been the conversation about the Scriptures through the lens of the Talmud.

The expectations would then be that Jesus would be there to offer insight into the Kingdom of God, and perhaps to further develop the teaching on repentance in the eschatological vein of the Baptizer. That Jesus would teach a more radical message, one lacking the citation of the Talmud or the great teachers of the past, startles the crowd.

They are in awe. Jesus performs his first miracle: exorcising a demon just at his Word, something else unimaginable. But the officials of the synagogue, the rabbis and any of the more established members of the religious authority are not only unimpressed, they are already suspicious.

Mark continues to set us up for the rejection of Jesus and his message, while yet demonstrating the power of his Word, his authority and his appeal to the people of the Galilee.

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

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 43

Spiritual Life

Eucharist in mortal sin; Can knitting help with prayer?

I have done something terrible. I committed a mortal sin and then I received the Eucharist. Am I going to be condemned? I am very worried. I am 17 years old, and I was baptized just a couple of months ago. If I go to Confession, will I be forgiven?

(I was afraid that my parents would question me if I did not take Communion, so I went up to receive even though I knew it was wrong.)

Please help me to know what to do at this point. (City and state withheld)

Q

Please be at peace. You are not going to be condemned, and you will surely be forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance. It strikes me that some of our best-known saints made their way back from moral wrongs to find healing and joy in God’s forgiveness.

I’m thinking of St. Paul, who once persecuted those who

A

E THE NEXT STEP? READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?

Ready to take the next step?

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?

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QUESTION CORNER Father Kenneth Doyle Catholic News Service

believed in Jesus; of St. Peter, who during Christ’s Passion denied that he even knew Christ; of St. Augustine, who had fathered a child out of wedlock. God can forgive anything, and he wants to.

His very purpose in creating us was so that we could share eternal happiness in his presence.

Just go to Confession and tell the priest of your sin and the fact that you went to Holy  “I am Communion despite recognizing its gravity.

And congratulations on your recent Baptism. impressed Like most Catholics, I was baptized as an infant, but I often find that those who entered by your the Church later on have a faith that is more family’s reflective and stronger.

efforts

Recently you answered a question on distraction in prayer, which I found to be to keep helpful. (You mentioned that even some of the best-known saints struggled to remain focused the Mass while they were praying.) If you don’t mind, I have sacred ...”  a further question on that topic.

For some months now, due to the COVID crisis, my family and I have been attending Mass virtually, as two of the four of us have high-risk health issues. We miss attending in person, but we have created certain rituals at home to make the Mass sacred – including dressing appropriately, responding to the prayers and standing and kneeling at the appropriate times.

However, I find it difficult to turn off my “Mom brain” and focus on the Mass when I look around my house at things that need to be done – cleaning, laundry, etc. (I have a shortened attention span due to a brain injury some years ago.) I have found that it helps me now to focus my attention on Jesus if I knit when I pray; I started doing that with the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the Rosary, and lately I have been knitting while we view the Mass.

But my teenage daughter thinks that this is inappropriate; since the Mass is a sacrament, she feels that my knitting is disrespectful to God. I would be grateful for your advice. (Willow Grove, Pennsylvania)

Q

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I am impressed by your family’s efforts to keep the Mass sacred despite being forced to view it at home. And I am sure you are aware that, during the current pandemic, you are not under obligation to watch the Mass on television; you are doing it not because you are bound to, but because you want to.

And if knitting while you watch helps you to focus your thoughts on Jesus, then I would say: By all means, knit away!

A

Questions may be sent to Father Kenneth Doyle at askfatherdoyle@ gmail.com and 30 Columbia Circle Dr., Albany, New York 12203.

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Spiritual Life

Preparing for the

extraordinary

THINGS MY FATHER TAUGHT ME

in the New Year

W

ith the first snow of winter upon us, and the animals in our manger completely covered, I realized the bird feeder was again empty.

A brightly colored blue jay sat on the deck railing and looked in the window of the living room where I sat with my morning coffee. With his head cocked to the side, he seemed to stare intently at me, as if trying to pressure me into refilling the feeder.

I laughed to myself and thought, “You were certainly not the early bird today, dear friend. You were beaten by some lovely cardinals, a host of finches, some blackbirds, and, of course, the local squirrels.”

But I acquiesced, and threw out some remnants of a seed and fruit bread I had been saving for them. And the blue jay, being somewhat pushy, ate his fill.

There are few things that give me a greater feeling of contentment than to watch the birds come to visit and fill-up on food I’ve left for them. Seeing their unique beauty, listening to their chatter with each other, even observing their squabbles, are some of the best moments of my day.

I have often wondered how these extraordinary creatures weather the varied and severe storms that could prove to be a mortal danger.

A professor in Tufts University explains that aside from a bird’s natural

Mary Clifford Morrell

built-in protection such as feathers, which offer remarkable insulation from cold air reaching the skin, and feet designed so body heat is not lost to cold air, there are two things that help birds survive – location and preparation.

Being small allows birds to take advantage of microhabitats, such as the lee side of trees or deep inside thick hedges.

He notes that wind speeds, and even the effects of driving rains, are dramatically decreased in these microhabitats. As long as the birds stay put and fluff up their feathers for increased insulation they can usually weather the worst of storms.

But staying put also means they cannot forage for food, so an important part of their preparation for storms is to get as much nourishment as possible before the storm hits.

Many birds can sense changing air pressure and, in preparation, spend as much time as possible foraging and eating.

Because eating produces metabolic warmth for birds, who need to consume one-third to three-quarters of their weight daily, food is imperative if they are to survive.

It is no different for us when we are faced with so many of the severe emotional and spiritual storms that often hit without warning, and certainly the past year has provided a significant amount of those.

We are strongest when we weather the storms from within the shelter of our

faith and when we keep ourselves nourished with prayer, worship, the support of our various communities, and a grateful heart which enables us to give to others.

Preaching in one of his weekly Angelus messages some years ago, Pope Francis taught on the Gospel of Matthew and the story of Jesus walking on the water to his Apostles during a storm. He recalled how Jesus instructed Peter to come to him on the water and, with his eyes on Jesus, Peter did just that, and walked on the water – at least for a few seconds. Peter then yells out to his Lord, “Save me!” and Jesus reaches out his hand and saves him.

Pope Francis reminds us, “The faithful and ready response to the Lord’s call always enables one to achieve extraordinary things. But Jesus himself told us that we are capable of performing miracles with our faith, faith in him, faith in his Word, faith in his voice. Peter, however, begins to sink the moment he looks away from Jesus and he allows himself to be overwhelmed by the hardships around him.”

As we enter into a New Year, may we find strength, courage and hope in God and, through Jesus, overcome our sometimes fragile faith and believe, instead, in our ability to achieve the extraordinary.

Mary Clifford Morrell is the author of “Things My Father Taught Me About Love” and “Let Go and Live: Reclaiming your life by releasing your emotional clutter.”

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 45

Young Catholics

Acts of Encouragement

W

hile the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly touched lives across the Diocese of Trenton and cast a shadow over 2020, young people throughout the region have also found ways to continue to live their faith through serving others over the past months.

For some, the outreach filled the void left by the cancellation of regular parish meetings and events. For others, it provided an opportunity to cope with personal feelings of helplessness and despair amidst the pandemic.

Since last spring, young people across the Diocese have been organizing food drives, creating uplifting art, collecting gifts and money, honoring veterans and first responders – and more.

“I needed to be active during these times,” said Aedan Petrocelli, 14, St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, who used his outdoor, socially distanced birthday to collect towels, treats and toys for a local animal shelter. “I love to help out, whether it’s dogs or people in need. I know whatever I do helps them, but it makes me feel really good, so I guess helping them helps me.” ~ By David Karas, correspondent

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46 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

Young Catholics

2021 DYC aims to remind young people to ‘search for Jesus’ 

 FOR EXPANDED VERSIONS OF THESE STORIES, VISIT TRENTONMONITOR.COM> YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS



Caitlin Farrell, 15, of St. Mark Parish, Sea Girt, worked with her family to collect food by leaving a bin outside their home to collect donations from neighbors – netting more than 500 items. “We knew there were a lot more people than normal who were utilizing the food banks because many people had lost their jobs or were being paid less,” she said. “I feel like we helped many people who were in need during this difficult time.” Courtesy photo



Robert Prestia, Jason Ritter and Larry Burns, eighth-grade religious education students in St. Clement Parish, Matawan, launched a neighborhood food collection during the pandemic.

All of the food they collected was donated to the St. Vincent DePaul Society at Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Keyport. Photo courtesy of Pat Thein



Alex Hauer and Jenna Montrose of Holy Eucharist Parish, Tabernacle, portray Mary and Joseph during the live Nativity held on parish grounds. The pair, former parish HERO youth ministry members who now serve as adult leaders, were among the young people who took part in the Christmas gift drive to benefit residents of the New Lisbon Developmental Center.

More than 200 vehicles drove through the live Nativity scene, with parishioners donating close to 400 individual gifts. Photo courtesy of Jeff Siedlecki

 Youth from St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, helped restore horse stall doors

during the fall at Riding High Farm, Allentown. “It was an amazing opportunity,” youth ministry member Katherine Jaramillo said of helping out at the farm, which provides therapeutic recreational horseback riding and more to those with physical and cognitive disabilities. “It is important to live out my faith in this way because I can please God and those that I help with my actions and love.” Courtesy photo



 DJ Brubaker and Dwayne Gethard Jr. of the CYGNUS youth ministry from St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, participated in Wreaths Across America at the nearby St. Joseph Cemetery and Mausoleum the weekend before Christmas. The international program is dedicated to remembering the fallen members of the Armed Services and those missing in action. Photo courtesy of Catherine Werner

T

he annual Diocesan Youth Conference is all about helping young people make connections – with God and each other by bringing teens together from around the area’s parishes.

For 2021, those connections will be only a click away.

“In a time when so many things have been canceled, we decided very early that the DYC would happen no matter what, even if we had to be all virtual,” said Dan Waddington, director of the diocesan Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministries.

“DYC is an important event every year because it gathers the young Church of our Diocese [so that they can be] connected to each other and, most importantly, to Jesus in a powerful way. This year, those goals are more important than ever.”

The 2021 DYC, scheduled for 3-5 p.m. Feb. 6, will be livestreamed on diocesan social media platforms, including youtube.com/trentondiocese. Open to young people in grades 8-12, the DYC will include a keynote speaker, prayer, interactive games and discussion, and a prerecorded Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. To register, visit dioceseoftrenton.org/youthministry.

Waddington explained that the 2021 DYC’s theme, “The Search,” is inspired by the Gospel for that weekend, Mark 1:29-39, specifically verse 37: “Everyone is looking for you.”

“All through 2020, our world has been searching … for peace, for a cure for COVID-19, for social justice, stability and so much more,” he said. “At the same time, many of our young people have been searching for a sense of normalcy while grieving the loss of time with friends and family, special school events and milestones, and in some cases the loss of loved loves. We are all left searching for a sense of security.

“Our goal is to help our young people be reminded that they are not alone,” he continued. “No matter how difficult 2020-2021 has been, Jesus tells us that he comes to us in our needs, and with him there is nothing we cannot face. I hope our young people will leave the DYC reminded to turn to prayer and draw strength from our faith, and to search for Jesus.”

By Jennifer Mauro, managing editor

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 47

Family Life With parents now disseminating the faith more than ever as children learn virtually during COVID, catechetical leaders from across New Jersey offered advice and self-care tips for families.

Ken Falls photo

Fostering Good Habits

Virtual Faith Formation conference emphasizes Domestic Church as key to catechesis

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

A

djusting to the physical constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a nine-month reality for parishes and their ministries, including the faith teaching that religious education programs have continued to provide in creative virtual ways.

Moreover, parents and families have assumed more of a catechetical role in their children’s faith development. Yet that, as catechetical leaders point out, is as it should be.

Desiring to share and bolster catechists’ tenacity and resources, the Archdiocese of Newark collaborated with the dioceses of Trenton, Camden, Metuchen and Paterson on a Virtual Faith Formation Confer-

ence in early November. The conference offered live and recorded keynotes and workshops in both English and Spanish, and attendees continue to have access to conference materials for 90 days.

“This is an encouraging step toward collaboration for future opportunities for the faithful in New Jersey,” said Denise Contino, director of the diocesan Department of Catechesis. “A catechist is more effective in passing on the faith when provided with opportunities for formation for their own growth in the faith.”

Catechetical departments across all five (arch)dioceses were tasked with creating a program and offering opportunities for catechist formation, Contino explained. Many expounded on the New Directory for Catechesis, which “challenges us to rethink faith formation through

AT A GLANCE: SELF-CARE FOR PARENTS Among the conference’s keynote speakers were Dr. Kristin Witte and Monica Thom Konschnik, who spoke on “Self-Care for Parents.” Witte, formerly with Catholic Relief Services, now serves as the director for outreach at the nonprofit Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Konschnik is the assistant director of administration for the Catholic Apostolate Center.

Among the takeaways: It’s about living your faith. Children breathe what they know: the environment they are in. Are there religious items in the home? Does the family pray together and talk about their faith?

The nurturer must receive oxygen first.

Like on an airplane – first secure your oxygen/faith needs/restoration, so that you can then help your

children.

Quash unrealistic expectations. Take time to explain that life will look different during the pandemic – holidays, online learning, etc. – and emphasize that different is OK. Find moments of peace. Take 20 minutes to lie down, take care of your mind and soul.

When things get too overwhelming, it’s OK to take a break. Catechesis happens over a lifetime, and missing a day or two is fine.

Ask for help when you need it.

Don’t jump to judgment; jump to compassion. Try being disciples of Jesus Christ. This is hard for everyone – we are struggling together.

Think about healing, loving and caring instead of judging.

48 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

the lens of accompaniment and human experience,” she said.

“By working together on this initiative, we as a larger community were able to offer catechists resources and opportunities from national and local speakers,” she noted. “In addition, catechists were able to experience the sense of a larger community through the live events.”

 “Raising kids and passing on the faith is so much easier said than done.”  Joni Marcinek, catechist in St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, attended the conference with an aim to improve her own dedication and for a love of learning.

“I cannot give something which I do not have. Teaching the faith means I must also grow in my own faith,” she said. “If my students see my heart is on fire for God, that I believe is contagious! Sharing what God has given to me brings me joy.”

PRACTICAL TIPS Not only were catechists encouraged throughout the various talks, they were also presented with tools for engaging and educating parents in the catechetical process – particularly important, as parents are now disseminating the faith more than ever with children’s virtual learning requiring their oversight.

Keynote speaker Dr. Joseph D. White, child and family psychologist and director of Catechetical Resources for Our Sunday Continued on 59

Family Life

Returning to Prayer Livestreamed Rosary, Bishop’s message aim to fortify married couples

BY EMMALEE ITALIA  Contributing Editor

A

mong those beset by challenges during the COVID-19 era are married couples, who have been struggling in their relationship while weathering the other difficulties the pandemic has created. That’s one of the reasons that promotion of the 2021 National Marriage Week and World Marriage Day is particularly important this year.

Celebrated annually since 2010, National Marriage Week begins Feb. 7 and culminates in World Marriage Day Feb. 14. Accompanying the occasion, which will take place virtually, are two new components: a pre-recorded video message from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and a nightly online recitation of the Cana Rosary, based on the book “The Cana Rosary: A Couple’s Prayer” by licensed psychologist and Catholic husband Chris Ebberwein.

“I think because marriage is for keeps, in good times and bad, in sickness and health, couples will find that the Cana reflections will help them find the hand of God in every aspect of their married lives, especially in the moments of difficulty and suffering that all couples must face if their marriage is to endure,” said Peg Hensler, diocesan associate director for marriage ministries and NFP. From Feb. 7-13, the Cana Rosary will begin each day at 7 p.m., offering couples seven evenings to pray together and reflect on the meaning behind the prayers and what they mean for their marriage. Spanish language translations of the Rosary prayers and Bishop’s message will also be available. All links and materials can be found at https://dioceseoftrenton.org/ building-strong-marriages.

The prayers and Bishop O’Connell’s message are designed to help strengthen couples’ relationships and reaffirm their

life-giving role in the Church.

“We have heard from our own Diocese of Trenton parishioners but also have seen in secular media that even the healthiest of marital relationships are under strain as a result of the pandemic, and marital intimacy is suffering,” Hensler said. “This is true for all stages of marriage but especially for working parents who are dealing with childcare issues and uncertainty around in-person versus virtual learning.”

Married for 38 years, Deacon Frank Golazeski and his wife, Kathleen, of St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, will participate in the Cana Rosary livestream, lending their voices to the Joyful Mysteries.

“Praying as a couple is a powerful and worthwhile way to pray,” Kathleen Golazeski said. “Being a part of the Cana Rosary for Marriage helps us to witness that.”

She said that despite being at different places on their journey to God, “our shared faith connects us and enables our mutual support. We also draw strength from our commitment to the Church, which helps us to remain detached from the ways of the world.”

Deacon Golazeski believes that meditating on the Rosary as a couple “can help tap into the experiences of the Holy Family. The Joyful Mysteries connect directly with Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The other mysteries can also speak to our experiences as a couple ... because the human experience of Jesus and Mary is present in them all. Allowing the Mysteries to be present in our lives in one form or another

makes our couple-prayer more personal.”

He continued, “The Joyful Mysteries can also be the frightening mysteries, because each has an element of calamity [e.g. unmarried pregnancy, elderly pregnancy, sword will pierce your heart, lost child] yet joy results through the hand of God. Marriage has uncertainties, but through commitment and relying on the graces from God, joy can always be present.”

Hensler is hopeful that anyone will benefit from the Cana Rosary. “[It] is especially beautiful for Catholic couples who are looking for something more meaningful than the secular romantic activities associated with Valentine’s Day.” Jennifer Mauro, managing editor, contributed to this report.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE National Marriage Week begins Feb. 7 and World Marriage Day is Feb. 14. The links for the livestream Cana Rosary for Marriage as well as a message from Bishop O’Connell can be found at https://dioceseoftrenton. org/world-marriage-day-for-couples or www. facebook.com/dotfamilylife

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 49

In the Parishes

CHURCH BELLS RING IN REMEMBRANCE OF LIVES LOST TO COVID

IN MARLTON, MANY HANDS WORK TO BRIGHTEN CHRISTMAS FOR THOSE IN NEED

Joining with Catholic churches in the Archdioceses of Boston, New York, Philadelphia along with the Diocese of Brooklyn and numerous dioceses throughout the country, many parishes in the Diocese of Trenton rang their church bells at noon Dec. 30 to honor the almost 339,000 people who have died from the coronavirus since the pandemic began last March.

In New Jersey, 18,777 COVID deaths have been reported as of Dec. 30.

Apart from their regularly appointed times, church bells are rung to mark significant milestones or occasions.

“It is my hope that, as the year 2020 comes to an end,” observed Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., “the tolling of bells in churches throughout the Diocese will invite us to pray for our beloved dead while calling us to compassionate solidarity with Catholics throughout the nation. May the coming year quickly see the end of this pandemic.”

St. Michael Church, West End, was among the local parishes to ring its bells.

“The familiar tone of the bells recognizes the sadness and the grief and at the same time expresses comfort, consolation, and an uplifting sense of faith, hope and encouragement,” said Father John Butler, parish pastor. “As the sound of the bells travel, it unites individuals within a community, and it also unites nearby communities with each other by crossing lines of religion and politics and other differences that can separate us. The power and gentle beauty of the bells inspire strength and perseverance, confidence and prayerfulness in a simple yet moving and memorable way.”

Throughout the year, the Helping Hands Ministry in St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton, strives to help folks who are struggling with utility, rent or mortgage payments.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the ministry extended its reach. With monies raised through a parish collection and a generous donation from a parishioner, Helping Hands was able to purchase and distribute about $25,000 in supermarket and department store gift cards to more than 30 families.

Marlton residents, both parishioners and non-parishioners alike, received the gift cards, parish business manager Theresa Segin said.

“It’s our moral obligation to help those who cannot help themselves, and the donations the Helping Hands Ministry received allowed us to do just that,” Segin said.

The Helping Hands Ministry was also grateful for a $14,500 donation it received from Pat McKenna Realtors, a Marlton-based real estate agency whose current owner, Eleanor McKenna, is a longtime St. Joan of Arc parishioner. The donation supplemented the Christmas collection and will go toward future outreach efforts.

“The decision to donate to our local causes was an easy one,” said McKenna, who noted that her staff raised about $34,000 through donations they made from real estate transactions. In addition to St. Joan of Arc Parish, the agency donated $14,500 to the Marlton Police Department and $5,000 to Operation Yellow Ribbon, a nonprofit that supports U.S. servicemen and women.

By Mary Stadnyk, associate editor

Local businessman pays it forward through church decorating gift St. Joachim Church, Trenton Photo courtesy of Paul Pennacchi

50 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

Growing up in the 1970s, Paul Pennacchi vividly recalls the colorful Christmas flowers and decorations adorning the sanctuaries, naves and grounds of the two parishes in Trenton’s Chambersburg section – St. Joachim and Immaculate Conception.

“It was really special to see, something I will always remember,” Pennacchi said of St. Joachim Church, his home parish and where he was baptized, and Immaculate Conception Church, which is less than a mile away from the then-parish grammar school from which he graduated.

Pennacchi has never ventured far from his Trenton area roots. He and his family reside in Hamilton; he is a member of St. Paul Parish, Princeton, and serves as president of A. Pennacchi & Sons Masonry Restoration Company, also based in Hamilton, which has provided services to a number of parishes, schools and institutions in the Diocese.

About five years ago, it became Pennacchi’s fervent desire to help St. Joachim and Immaculate Conception Churches at Christmastime in return for the integral roles they played during his childhood.

As a gift, Pennacchi enlisted the services of Steve Makrancy, owner of Makrancy Florist.

Now the two worship sites – which are now part of Our Lady of the Angels Parish – are adorned with florals, greenery and decorations each Christmas.

Pennacchi said it’s his hope that the annual gift will help enhance the prayer experiences for those who worship in each church.

By Mary Stadnyk, associate editor

Education

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

A

sk Suzanne Casey about her more than 20 years working in Catholic education, and she readily responds, “I have never called what I do work.”

“Being able to live and share my beliefs as part of my curriculum and role modeling every day is profound,” she said.

“Participating in our beliefs through Mass, service and Sacraments with our students is very rewarding.”

 “I am always learning in the field, and I love sharing.”  Casey, department head/technology coordinator in Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Moorestown, has been named the New Jersey Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year Award for 2020.

“I am so happy for you and OLGC School,” Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., wrote in an email to Casey. “Congratulations! It is well-deserved. Thank you for your great work at OLGC.” The New Jersey Council for American Private Education announced the honor in early December, and Casey received an award during a Dec. 15 online meeting that included staff from the diocesan Department of Catholic Schools. Judy Nicastro, associate director of school services/ data management/marketing, presented the award. Nicastro also serves as president of NJCAPE and is the chair of the N.J. Department of Education Nonpublic Schools Advisory Committee.

Dr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, noted that Casey was the first educator in the Diocese to receive the distinguished award since 2008.

“The fact that Suzanne Casey was recognized this year, of all years, with the effects of COVID present in the schools and stressing the abilities of teachers nationwide, is a statement to her abilities and willingness to do whatever is necessary to deliver on behalf of the students and wanting to bring the mission of our Catholic schools into the lives of the students of OLGC,” Schmidt said.

PAYING IT FORWARD Casey credits the nine years she attended Catholic school as being the inspiration for her wanting to pursue a career in teaching. It was also what led her and her husband of 31 years, Jim, to send their two daughters, Domenica and Harper, to Our Lady of Good Counsel School. When Domenica, who is now 27, was in third grade, the school became in need of a technology teacher, Casey recalled, and “after some

Courtesy photo

Moorestown educator honored as N.J. Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year

Suzanne Casey prompting and praying, I took the job.

“I felt it was a calling, coming full circle to give back what I had been given as a product of a Catholic school,” she said, adding that Harper, 24, also now serves in the school.

Along with teaching computer science, some of Casey’s career highlights include: creating best practices for Google Classroom to enhance student learning; Continued on 53

RESPECTED EDUCATOR, DR. KAREN JULIANO, TAPPED AS PRINCIPAL OF MOTHER SETON ACADEMY Mother Seton Academy of Howell – the pre-K3 through 8th-grade Catholic school sponsored by St. Veronica Parish in Howell and St. Aloysius Parish in Jackson – will begin its new semester in January with respected educator Dr. Karen Juliano at the helm as principal.

Dr. Juliano’s appointment was announced Dec. 29 by the school’s co-directors, St. Veronica pastor Father Peter James Alindogan and St. Aloysius pastor Father John Bambrick. Dr. Juliano comes to the Trenton Diocese after having served nearly five decades as a teacher and administrator at every level from pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade in Catholic schools across the United States.

In New Jersey, she was president of Raritan Bay Catholic Preparatory School in South Amboy from 2011-2015.

In addition to her teaching degree in mathematics, Dr. Juliano holds advanced degrees in ed-

ucational administration and school leadership, including a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Spalding University, Louisville, Kentucky. She Dr. Karen Juliano also holds a certificate as a master catechist.

Dr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Trenton, stated, “Mother Seton Academy is privileged to have such an experienced, respected and dedicated educator assume the leadership of the school in the midst of the COVID pandemic.”

Dr. Schmidt, along with Fathers Alindogan and Bambrick, expressed appreciation to outgoing principal Kathy Blazewicz for her service to Mother Seton Academy and her 41 years of teaching and administration within diocesan schools.

January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 51

Sports

Catholic athletes lean on God, each other during COVID

BY MATT BECKER  Digital and Social Media coordinator

S

tudent-athletes in high schools around the Diocese traded their typical workout for that of another kind in early December – one that strengthened their spiritual muscles.

More than 80 students, along with coaches and other school staff, joined Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and staff from the diocesan Department of Catholic Schools for an online gathering of the annual Catholic Athletes for Christ Leadership Day. During the event, they discussed the impact COVID-19 has had on their ability to play sports and lessons they have learned. There was also a question-and-answer session with the Bishop.

“How can we grow our faith while at home?” asked Arianna Simon of St. Rose High School, Belmar.

“No matter where you are, or who you’re with, you can always pray,” Bishop O’Connell advised. “Practice talking to God like you would talk to a friend,” said Bishop O’Connell, who focused his remarks on the importance of prayer and to lean on their faith during challenging times.

Catholic Athletes for Christ, a nationwide organization of which Bishop O’Connell sits on the episcopal board, aims to encourage young people to make the connection between their Catholic faith and athletics. Among the high schools represented during the Dec. 3 virtual meeting were Donovan Catholic, Toms River; Notre Dame, Lawrenceville; St. John Vianney, Holmdel; Red Bank Catholic, Red Bank; Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton; Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, and St. Rose. Among those in attendance were Father Jason Parzynski, CAC chaplain and diocesan vocations director, and John McKenna, diocesan CAC moderator.

The day’s keynote speaker, Father Bryan Page, pastor of Our Lady of

Czestochowa Parish, Jersey City, and former chaplain of the Aquinas Institute, Princeton, reflected on the words of the Prophet Micha (6:8), saying, “The Lord requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Father Page encouraged participants to use their talents to glorify Christ, rather than use Christ to glorify their actions.

“How will you be known after sports are not in your life?” he asked the CAC members.

 “It gave us an opportunity to see each other and be there for each other.”  During small group discussions, the students were asked to address three questions: “How have you stayed involved in sports once schools and sports were stopped for the pandemic, and how does that translate to your faith?”; “How has your school kept its Catholic identity during the pandemic?” and “What lessons have you learned from sports that has helped you be able to walk humbly with God?” Robert Lamastra, who plays football and baseball for Red Band Catholic High School, addressed the first question, saying, “The workouts kept us in shape – they were difficult but while doing them on my own, I knew that my whole team was doing them along with me. It gave me motivation to keep going.”

He added that during the past months of social distancing and separation, he felt that the workouts were a part of keeping the team strong.

St. John Vianney’s Lyndsay Truchan, in addressing the second question, spoke of how her school made a concerted effort to engage the student virtually. “We were able to watch livestream Masses and participate in online retreats,” she said, expressing how important that was to her and the other students.

Joe Meidling from Notre Dame High School answered how he can relate his faith to training for matches and games.

“We trust in the process of working out and practicing for our games. We can work on our relationship with God in that same way.”

Vincent de Paul Schmidt, diocesan superintendent of Catholic Schools, said he was inspired by the students, explaining that he wished a support system such as CAC had been available when he was a high school or college athlete.

Catholic Athletes for Christ, he explained, “gives students a sense of family and belonging above their sport, but linked to their faith.”

When McKenna, who also coaches at Notre Dame High School, asked the participants how the day had influenced them, the students agreed they were comforted to know they are not in their feelings. They were also grateful to be able to lean on each other during difficult times.

We would like to thank TOSHIBA, exclusive provider of copier services in the Diocese of Trenton Chancery building, for their sponsorship of this page.

52 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

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BISHOP: BE OPEN TO HOPE AT CHRISTMAS

And just as how those who response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with them.” walked in darkness saw “a great light” she worked with the school principal, WELL-DESERVED when Jesus was born, so, too, can Dr. Carla Chiarelli, to guarantee virtu- HONOR Car t: story 0 items $ 0 Reprints those who hearYour the Christmas al and in-school learning capabilities Indeed, it was Casey’s work again and again find peace. that successfully served families spearheading the virtual learning % those words were first and students in the entire school “Although program over the past five years that Saved Designs: items spoken to foretell the coming of the 10community. factored into Chiarelli nominating Messiah, they evoke special learning in the field Casey for the nonpublic school Your aCar t: 0hope items $ 0 “I am always Reprints % year we have just experiafter the and I love sharing … the resources teacher award. enced together,” Bishop O’Connell % Personalizethat might help make the job easier “Her ongoing knowledge and said, reflectingSaved on Isaiah 9:1-6. “The10 items Designs: and even more exciting,” said Casey, thirst for updated information COVID pandemic has been a time of whoReprints holds an associate’s degree in po- with technology and how to better Your Car t: 0 items $ 0 Keller Williams Business Card - WP5661 darkness, but we have not now nor litical science from Camden Communi- support our staff and students is can we ever let it block out the light Personalize ty College, and a bachelor’s degree ever-growing,” Chiarelli said. “She Saved Designs: 10 items of Christ’sYour presence Car t: 0among items us.” $ 0 Reprints from Fairleigh Dickinson University, represents not only teachers, but Commonly asked questions...

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Continued from 7

Such thoughts are a meditation and prayer for the faithful on Christmas, he said. “As Christ came to give himself fully to us, let us who tell the story again make of ourselves a Christmas gift of love and kindness to one another.”

Indeed, the Christmas story never gets old, Bishop O’Connell said, which one might find surprising considering it’s more than 2,000 years old.

“The real miracle of the Christmas story is precisely that: it never gets old!” he preached. “That God became man, that the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us, has an impact upon us; it has an effect upon us; it means something important and changesThe us. It isMonitor news, great ‘Good News’ and a story truly worth repeating again and again!”

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CANDIDATES PROGRESS ON DIACONATE JOURNEY Continued from 21

celebration of Mass and participated in three rites that are part of the diaconate formation process.

MOVING FORWARD

During the Rite of Candidacy, the 11 men were admitted to prepare for the Sacrament of Holy Orders upon completing five years of formal study.

For the other 15 men, Bishop O’Connell presided over the Rite of Institution of Lectors and Acolytes.

Candidates who are installed as lectors are commissioned to proclaim the Readings, except for the Gospel, during the Liturgy of the Word at Mass and other liturgical celebrations.

Acolytes are instituted to serve at the altar and to assist the priest and deacon, and as special ministers to give Holy Communion to the faithful during the liturgy and to the sick.

“These are important ceremonial moments in the life and formation of our permanent deacon candidates,” said Bishop O’Connell.

“The Diocese is blessed to have such wonderful men who have so generously responded to their vocation. It was such a joy to be with them and their wives and to pray together, especially in this time of pandemic,” he said.

PURSUING THE CALL

Louis E. Mayer of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, who was installed as a lector, shared how his vocation was nurtured by various life and faith experiences. Along with the example set by his parents, he said his formative years were also influenced by the educators he encountered as a student in St. Mary of the Lakes grammar school and Holy Cross High School (now Holy Cross Prep Academy), Delran. Those lessons of faith

were accentuated while he and his wife were raising their two daughters and also while he was in the Navy, where onboard a submarine, he recognized his call to a vocation.

“I worked with fellow sailors with the goal of mission accomplishment while tackling the day-to-day issues that we all faced,” Mayer said, “and the lessons of love, charity, mercy and justice taught in grammar school and high school were instrumental to [my] successes in the Navy and in life.”

Robert A. Golden of St. Martha Parish, Point Pleasant, who was installed as an acolyte, views his future service as a deacon as a way “to pay it forward to God and my parish.”

“God has been so good to me,” Golden said. “I will never ever be able to show my gratitude for his blessings. However, as I move closer to Holy Orders and ordination, I most assuredly will try.”

CANDIDATES INSTITUTED IN THE MINISTRY OF ACOLYTE: George A. Chemaly, St. Mary Parish, Middletown Robert A. Golden, St. Martha Parish, Point Pleasant Eugene C. Kotowski, St. Joan of Arc Parish, Marlton Paul C. LaPlante, St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square Joseph V. Montone, St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton CANDIDATES INSTITUTED IN THE MINISTRY OF LECTOR: Christopher F. Buono, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting Donald Gries, St. Justin the Martyr Parish, Toms River Louis E. Mayer, St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford Mynor A. Pardo, St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton William J. Ross, St. Mary Parish, Middletown Philip J. Thompson, St. Veronica Parish, Howell Robert C. Vidal, St. Mary Parish,

54 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

Barnegat Jay L. Werling, St. Theresa Parish, Little Egg Harbor John L. White, St. Monica Parish, Jackson Thomas R. Wieczerzak, St. James Parish, Red Bank ADMITTED TO CANDIDACY: Nelson R. Abreu, Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton Stuart T. Altschuler, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown Mark F. Degenhart, St. James Parish, Red Bank Vincent P. Delle Grotti, St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square Richard A. Gerbino, St. Mary Parish, Colts Neck Richard J. Huegi, St. Mary Parish, Barnegat John C. Italia, St. Paul Parish, Princeton Thomas W. McDonald, St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford Michael S. Shuflat, St. Pius X Parish, Forked River Joseph V. Stillo, St. Mark Parish, Sea Girt James J. Turro, St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish, Lavallette/Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head

YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH Continued from 25

our guardian angels, our patron saints, intercede for us during this time of prayer and adoration. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

LITANY OF ST. JOSEPH

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.

Jesus, hear us, Jesus, graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

Renowned offspring of David, pray for us.

Light of Patriarchs, pray for us.

Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.

Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.

Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.

Diligent protector of Christ, pray for us.

Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.

Joseph most just, pray for us.

Joseph most chaste, pray for us.

Joseph most prudent, pray for us.

Joseph most strong, pray for us.

Joseph most obedient, pray for us.

Joseph most faithful, pray for us.

Mirror of patience, pray for us.

Lover of poverty, pray for us.

Model of artisans, pray for us.

Glory of home life, pray for us.

Guardian of virgins, pray for us.

Pillar of families, pray for us.

Solace of the wretched, pray for us.

Hope of the sick, pray for us.

Patron of the dying, pray for us.

Terror of demons, pray for us.

Protector of Holy Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Jesus.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Jesus.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Jesus.

He made him the lord of his household And prince over all his possessions.

Let us pray: God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever. St. Joseph, pray for us.

NEEDS OF THE POOR Continued from 10

despite a shortfall in the charitable giving that provides their funding, and a volunteer force dealing with illnesses and restrictions.

Each January, to reinforce this core mandate, the Church observes Poverty Awareness Month, an initiative aimed at building awareness and putting a human face on poverty. During this special time, the Catholic community is invited to join the U.S. bishops and Catholic charitable organizations in taking up Pope Francis’ challenge to live in solidarity with the poor.

Though the challenges in 2020 have grown and the resources have declined, the Church will not turn from the needs of the poor.

To learn more, visit: usccb.org/committees/catholic-campaign-human-development/poverty-awareness-month

VACCINES FOR ALL Continued from 30

moral responsibility to vaccinate is reiterated in order to avoid serious health risks for children and the general population.”

The document issued objectives, particularly around making the vaccines “available and accessible to all.”

Part of that process, the document said, would be to consider how to reward those who developed the vaccine and repay “the research costs and risks companies have taken on,” while also recognizing the vaccine “as a good to which everyone should have access, without discrimination.”

The document quoted Pope Francis, who said in his Christmas message that humanity could not allow “the virus of radical individualism to get the better of us and make us indifferent to the suffering of other brothers and sisters,” nor could it allow “the law of the marketplace and patents take precedence over the law of love and the health of humanity.”

The dicastery and the academy said an exclusive focus on profit and commerce “is not ethically acceptable in the field of medicine and health care.”

“Investments in the medical field should find their deepest meaning in human solidarity,” the document said. “It is therefore vital to overcome the logic of ‘vaccine nationalism,’ understood as an attempt by various states to own the vaccine in more rapid timeframes as a form of prestige and advantage, procuring the necessary quantity for its inhabitants.”

The Vatican document called for the negotiation of international agreements to manage the vaccine patents “so as to facilitate universal access to the vaccine and avoid potential commercial disruptions, particularly to keep the price steady in the future.”

Such an agreement, the document said, would enable governments and pharmaceutical companies to collaborate in the industrial production of the vaccine simultaneously in different parts of the world, ensuring faster and more cost-effective access everywhere.

The Vatican COVID-19 commission and the Pontifical Academy for Life also called for widespread campaigns to educate people on the “moral responsibility” to get vaccinated.

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January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 55

In Memoriam

IN REMEMBRANCE, a listing of priests and deacons of

 the Diocese of Trenton who have died, can be found on TrentonMonitor.com>News>Obituaries

DEACON THOMAS A. GENOVESE, SERVED IN ST. JOSEPH PARISH, TOMS RIVER Deacon Thomas A. Genovese died Dec. 6 at his home in Manchester. He was 77.

Born in Brooklyn, Deacon Genovese grew up in East Windsor, and later lived in Toms River and Manchester for many years. He was an Army Veteran, having served during the Vietnam War working at the Pentagon. Later, he was employed as a manager with McGraw-Hill Publishing, where he worked for 45 years. He was ordained a deacon May 9, 2009, by Bishop John M. Smith in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, and had since served in St. Joseph Parish, Toms River.

Deacon Genovese was predeceased by his granddaughter Jessica Rose Genovese. He is survived by his wife, Diane; two sons, John and Michael Genovese, and four grandchildren.

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

Thank you for supporting your local Catholic Radio stations.

Your prayerful and financial support allow us to continue spreading the Good News throughout the Christmas season and the entire year!

Streaming live 24/7 at

domesticchurchmedia.org

Pope prays for victims of earthquake in Croatia Pope Francis offered condolences and prayers for the victims of an earthquake that rocked central Croatia.

“I express my closeness to the injured and to those affected by the earthquake, and I pray in particular for those who have lost their lives and for their families,” the Pope said Dec. 30 before concluding his weekly general audience.

According to the Reuters news agency, the magnitude 6.4 quake struck Dec. 29 and caused widespread damage. It destroyed at least two villages about 30 miles from Zagreb, the Croatian capital.

As of Dec. 30, seven people were known to have died; dozens were injured and many more people remained missing.

The powerful quake, which was felt as far as Austria, was the second to strike the country in two days. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit central Croatia Dec. 28.

In a video message posted on YouTube, Cardinal Josip Bozanic of Zagreb appealed for solidarity with the victims.

“In this trial, God will show a new hope that becomes especially evident in difficult times,” Cardinal Bozanic said.

“My call is for solidarity, especially with the families, children, youth, the elderly and the sick.”

According to SIR, the news agency of the Italian bishops’ conference, Cardinal Bozanic allocated emergency aid to those affected by the natural disaster. Caritas Zagreb will also provide assistance, especially in Sisak and Petrinja, the hardest-hit towns. “Many people have been left homeless, we must deal with this now,” the cardinal said.

Catholic News Service

THE DIOCESE OF TRENTON is committed to the initiatives outlined in the U.S. Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and to its own policies and guidelines in regard to the reporting and investigation of sexual abuse allegations involving minors.

If you have been sexually abused as a minor by a member of the clergy or anyone representing the Catholic Church, or if you know of someone who was, you can report that abuse through the diocesan

ABUSE HOTLINE: 1-888-296-2965

Find our programming schedule on our website, and ways to make us part of your charitable giving!

56 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

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.

Funeral Directory

BURLINGTON COUNTY

MONMOUTH COUNTY

OCEAN COUNTY

Timothy E. Ryan Home for Funerals Family Style Care And Comfort For All Faiths

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Brenna-Cellini Funeral Homes 2 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS Maria E. Brenna, Owner/Manager, N.J. Lic. No. 4879 Hamilton Brenna-Cellini Funeral Home 2365 Whitehorse-Mercerville Rd., Hamilton, NJ 08619 609-584-8080 Parkside Brenna-Cellini Funeral Home 1584 Parkside Ave., Ewing, NJ 08638 609-882-4454

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Looking for a final resting place for yourself or a loved Looking for a final resting place for yourself or a loved one? one?

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January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 57 130 Saint Maximilian Lane, Toms River, NJ 08757 www.stmaximiliankolbechurch.com

   

Fun & Games

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       

   

                    

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        

           

 

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        

           

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           

   

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           

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           

           

        

           

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STREET BURNING TEACHING BLIND I AM NOT THONG SERVANT

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

HEARD DIMLY COASTLANDS EYES DUNGEON TO STOOP BAPTIZED YOU

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

Following is a word search based on the First Reading and Gospel or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Cycle B: the Messiah’s traits. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle.



       

 

Gospel Mark 1:7-11

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           

       

   



January 10, 2021  First Reading Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7 •

CHOSEN ONE BRUISED REED EARTH LIGHT PRISONERS WORTHY SANDALS

   



SCRIPTURE SEARCH

   

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TEST YOUR CATHOLIC KNOWLEDGE

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Answers on 60

39 Prayer counter 41 NT epistle 42 Wife of Isaac 43 Kind of reverend 44 What the flesh is sometimes 45 “___ you destroyed our death…”

46 Redemptorist community (abbr.)

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DOWN 1 Country in which Mother Teresa founded her order 2 The Friars ___ 4 ___ on of hands 5 A calling 7 “___ to us a child is born” 8 What you should do when the herald angels sing 9 Land in which the tower of Babel was built 12 Lectern 13 How many times each day the soldiers of Joshua marched around Jericho 17 The Diocese of Youngstown is found here 21 “We are many parts, we are all one ___…”

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22 “We ___ to say, Our Father…”

23 Son of Seth 24 Commandment carrier, and others 27 “…the Father ___” 28 Woody’s son, a convert to Catholicism 29 Where Jesus went for 40 days 31 Hosea, formerly

32 An epistle 34 Diocese in British Columbia 37 Catholic French painter, Edgar ___ 38 Bishop’s hat 39 “By the sweat of your ___…”

(Gen 3:19) 40 Jesus’ name for the Father

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58 THE MONITOR MAGAZINE  January 2021

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ACROSS 1 Doctrines 3 A dove brought this branch back to Noah 6 Catholic governor of Florida and brother of a president 10 Sister of Judah 11 God, the Father 14 OT prophetic book 15 Merton, for one 16 Brother of Miriam 18 It was empty Easter morning 19 Tenth book of the twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament 20 Father of Jesse 24 “…the fish of the sea, the birds of the ___” (Gen 1:26) 25 He blamed the Christians for burning Rome 26 Desert food 28 Hebrew month 29 What the sea bottom became when Moses parted it 30 Josephite letters 33 Monk who is father of modern genetics 35 “___ et Orbi” 36 Lot moved to this city

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Visitor Publishing and Curriculum, focused on how family is “the missing piece in catechesis.”

“God reveals himself to us as a family – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – a communion of persons.

We are created to be in communion with one another,” he said. “Catechesis in the parish can give structure and support to catechesis in the home … [but] what parents provide is more organic … parents play an indispensable role; the family is the first place where we are called to live the faith we receive.”

The Family Catechesis sessions offered “practical tips for parish leaders, catechists and families to think creatively and outside the box in presenting faith formation programs, opportunities in the parish and in everyday life,” Contino said.

Speaking particularly about young families, Ryan Johnson – a Client Solutions Advocate who heads support efforts and serves national accounts for Catholic Faith Technologies – noted that the surrounding society is unsupportive and often downright discouraging to couples with young children.

“Accompaniment [by the Church] is what these families need,” he explained. “To be the Domestic Church, raising kids and passing on the faith, is so much easier said than done … couples wonder, ‘How do I know I’m doing what’s required, the things that matter?’”

The key, Johnson explained, is meeting young families where they are, offering four specific suggestions for support.

“Provide opportunities to break bread together, where young families can get to know one another. Pray for them and with them. Provide them with support and resources. And go where young families are – even online,” he said.

Mark Russoniello, pastoral associate in St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, offered a workshop on Social Justice and Social Media: Re-engaging Catholic Youth. Providing startling statistics about the drop-off of youth enthusiasm and presence in the Church, and the replacement of faith with the influence of technology, he noted the challenge before catechists: “How do we communicate to teenagers our orientation toward the eternal in an environment that demands immediacy?”

D I R E C T O R Y

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“How do we emphasize the transcendence and mystery of God to young people who … insist their reality has to be seen, touched and proven?” he asked. “Talking to teens and preaching doctrine without meaningful context no longer appeals, given the rapid change in how teens learn and experience life.”

Russionello presented several suggestions for making the faith relatable to a younger generation. “Lived experiences of the faith that make meaningful impacts on society is what is needed for our teens today,” he explained, “because they reconnect Church teaching to real life experiences … they demonstrate that what the Church teaches parallels the urgency our teens feel for change, and it’s a way to enroll them in a partnership with the church for bringing that change about.”

Catholic social teaching, Russionello emphasized, “is a way to draw teens out of their virtual world to an environment of encounter, with real people and real needs,” and making available tangible opportunities to volunteer in service of social, economic and environmental justice is key to their finding the Catholic Church relevant to them.

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Jessica Donohue, director of religious education in Sacred Heart Parish, Mount Holly, gave some advice on “Finding Joy and Encouragement as a Catechist During the Pandemic.”

“We are handing on the faith in a very different way this year,” she said. “As catechists, the most important thing to have in our toolbox is a good, healthy spirituality … being in a unique circumstance this year can make caring for our spirituality difficult – we may tend to put it on the back burner.”

Donohue explained the difference between joy and happiness, emphasizing how joy is something accessible at any time.

“Happiness is related to ‘happen,’ meaning circumstance or luck … a product of our circumstances. Joy is rooted in ‘gaudere,’ to rejoice – the fruit of faith, hope and love,” she said. “The Catechism says we find joy when we live in the divine life of the Trinity.”

COVID-19, Marcinek noted, has forced everyone to slow the tempo of their lives. “We can use our time together to eat dinner together, pray together … this is a time to cultivate our love for one another, recognizing this is the time to seize the opportunity is a great way to build the Domestic Church.”

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January 2021  THE MONITOR MAGAZINE 59

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