Father and son, who were present for Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi in the Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Raritan, June 22, had a moment of teaching and learning, reflecting Pope Francis’ encouragement to fathers: “I ask that you have the grace to be very close to your children, letting them grow, but being by their side. They need you, your presence, to be there, your love!”
See more on Corpus Christi celebrations pp. 14, 15 and Msgr. John Fell’s column, “The way of the Father is revealed in prayer,” p. 30.
—Hal Brown
photos
Summer offers time for rejuvenation and ‘growing closer to ourLord’
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
What a wonderful time of year, summer! I guess spending so many years in academic institutions, either studying at them or, later, serving on faculty, it is hard to say “summer” without adding “break” to it – summer break! That always has such a nice ring to it.
Of course, here in New Jersey, summer always makes us think of the Jersey shore, too. What a blessing for us to have somewhere so beautiful and relaxing so close by. I was able to be with my family for the fourth of July weekend down the shore and it was wonderful to spend some time with my mother and some of my family members. Sitting on the beach, reading a book, listening to the waves and watching the ocean, all tends to calm the nerves! Likewise, being further away from the brighter lights of the city, the stars, while sitting on the porch in the evening, are spectacularly brighter. Even here in Metuchen my morning walks these days are always in the light given our longer summer days, which is welcomed. There seem to be more people out walking in the mornings, too. The office doesn’t seem as busy now, since during the weeks of summer there are always people on vacation so the mail and appointments seem lighter.
There are no Confirmations in the evenings during the summer time. The lighter schedule and free evenings provide me with the opportunity to do more visits in our Diocese, making it possible to go to parish carnivals to see our many faithful supporting them and thank the generous volunteers who make the carnivals work!
I am able to visit with some Vacation Bible Schools, our music camp at our cathedral, and even celebrate some daily Masses in local parishes, as well as visit nursing homes and other programs run by various parishes and our Catholic Charities.
Yes, the summer is a time for relaxation, family and friends. I hope that you get to enjoy this, too. In addition, don’t forget that the summer is a great time to deepen our friendship with the Lord. If you find yourself with some extra time, why not read some Scriptures each day, make a visit to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament at your parish or attend daily Mass, as well as pray the Rosary or read a good spiritual book. The Lord awaits us, always, and gratefully He is so patient with us.
Finally, we continue with our Jubilee Year of Hope. The summer might allow you an opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence by visiting one of our Jubilee Year sites in our Diocese located at our Cathedral, the Blue Army Shrine in Asbury, the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Raritan and the National Shrine of St. Lucy Filippini at Visitation Parish in New Brunswick. They are spread out throughout the Diocese, so that everyone can be near to them.
Yes, summer is here, but moving along. Make sure to use the summer well for rejuvenation, relaxation and growing closer to our Lord! Be assured that I am praying for you, and ask that you please remember me in your prayers, too, whether at home, a Jubilee site or even while down the shore. God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
JCD, MBA Bishop of Metuchen
A Prayer for Safe Travel
“O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger, and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Most Reverend James F. Checchio,
Our SummerShepherd
1 - Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, New Brunswick, Bishop Checchio greets parishioners after celebrating Mass. —John Batkowski photo
2 - St. Edward the Confessor Parish, Milford, Bishop Checchio dedicates the new altar during Mass. —Ed Koskey photo
4 & 5 - Seminarians and families, Mass and reception.
St. Bartholomew Parish, East Brunswick. —Hal Brown photos (4, 5, 6, 7, and 9)
6 - Mass at St. Matthew the Apostle Parish, Edison.
7 - Mass and Blessing at Our Lady of Fatima, Perth Amboy.
8 - Feast of St. Anthony at Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, South Plainfield. —Sister Maria Goretti photo
9 - Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Perth Amboy.
First Mass fulfills dream for Philippine-born Father Ocampo
By Robert Christie, Correspondent
As a choir sang hymns, some 200 family, friends, and parishioners filled the Church of St. Magdalen de Pazzi, Flemington, for Father Jerome Ocampo’s first Mass. Father Ocampo had spent his diaconate at the parish.
The May 31 Mass, and Father Ocampo’s Ordination earlier that day at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, fulfilled a dream Father Ocampo had since second grade in the Philippines: to become a priest.
The Knights of Columbus Color Corps marched up the center aisle, taking their places at the front pews, followed by priests, deacons, and altar servers. The chorus sang the opening hymn, “Hail the Day that Sees Him Rise,” and Bishop James F. Checchio, who had ordained
Father Ocampo, was last to enter. Father Ocampo circled the altar with incense as the high Mass began.
Preaching on the story of Jesus’ Ascension from the Gospel of Luke, Msgr. C. Anthony Ziccardi, assistant professor of Biblical Studies at Seton Hall University, noted: “Jesus assured the Apostles that no one would take their joy away. But why is there joy if Jesus left? First, it is only for a time. He will return. Secondly, he would remain in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Lastly, it was what was hoped for and preached in the Old Testament in Psalm 2, that the Son of Man will reign.
The Ascension, he continued, was the process by and in which God admitted Jesus to heaven and seated him at the throne of God.
After Mass, Father Ocampo spoke:
“Words are not enough to say thank you. To the Bishop for ordaining me, to my five pastors under whom I worked for five-and-a-half years, to Msgr. Ziccardi, our homilist. Thanks to the choir for enhancing the experience of the divine.
“My biggest thanks is to Mary and Jesus,” he added. “Without their love, I am nothing. Who I was, am, and will be, I offer to you. I trust to God that I have this priesthood.”
He choked up briefly when he asked his mother, who was in attendance, to give his late father a hug for him when the time comes, “although he may be in purgatory, and tell him that I made it. Mom, you’re like St. Monica to me.”
He also thanked Father James De Fillipps, St. Magdalen’s pastor, and the novena members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help for their spiritual support.
After earning his B.A. in philosophy from St. Camillus College Seminary, Marikina City, Philippines, Father Ocampo came to the United States, where he continued his studies at Seton Hall University, South Orange.
In addition to St. Magdalen, he has served at Immaculate Conception, Spotswood; Our Lady of the Mount, Warren; St. Joseph, Carteret; and Church of the Visitation, New Brunswick.
Father Ocampo’s special charism is working with the sick and dying, which he will do as a hospital chaplain’s assistant.
After Mass, Msgr. Robert Coleman, who helps at St. Magdalen on weekends, invited everyone to a reception in the parish center, and he wished Father Ocampo well on his new assignment as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Parish, Somerville.
Vincent Brigande, fifth from right, who served as Father Ocampo’s vesting deacon for Ordination May 31.
Above, at the close of Mass Bishop Checchio joined in applause for Father Ocampo on the occasion of his first Mass and with eyes on the future. —Hal Brown photos
Top photo, Father Jerome Ocampo, center, flanked by Bishop James F. Checchio and recently ordained transitional Deacon Thomas Pluhar, is joined by brother priests, seminarians, seminarian faculty, and deacons, including
Speak clearly, like St. Jerome, Philippine rector tells Father Magcawas
By Robert Christie Correspondent
Father Manuel R. Lucero, rector of St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Lipa City, Philippines, traveled all the way to North Plainfield for the first Mass of his former student, Father Jan Armelson C. Magcawas.
“Today is sacred, as heaven and earth embrace,” Father Lucero said at the June 1 Mass in St. Joseph Church. “Christ has entrusted us with a mission, in a way, through Father Jan’s ordination. You had many struggles, but God was shaping you, and through the faith of your mother, who today in heaven rejoices over her wonderful son, and your father, who is here, like St. Joseph, in quiet silence.”
He quoted from the day’s second
reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, “Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy.”
“You saw God even in darkness, with a heart shaped by faith,” Father Lucero said to Father Magcawas. “Help them to find hope in grace. Like St. Jerome, speak clearly, with gentility. Bless the faithful from the altar, the sick in the hospital, and the sinner in the confessional. Be a man of blessing. Your hands are now consecrated.”
To the congregation, he said: “Father Jan is a gift to you. At times he will be tired, he will make mistakes. Pray for him and support him.
“Father Jan, this altar is your life,” he continued. “Never stop being amazed that God chose you. When words fail, you have St. Jerome to speak the truth
There were many firsts for Father Jan Armelson Magcawas as he celebrated Mass June 1 in St. Joseph Church, North Plainfield, including receiving the gifts of bread and wine under the watchful eyes of Bishop James F. Checchio, who attended in choir; serving as principal celebrant for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and offering first blessings to the faithful in attendance. Bottom left, Father Magcawas is joined by Bishop Checchio and longtime friend Father Larrydom Magdasoc. —Marlo Williamson photos
with charity. Say, ‘I will love you as Christ has loved me.’”
Bishop James F. Checchio ordained Father Magcawas May 31. The Bishop and some 500 others were on hand for the new priest’s first Mass.
After Mass, Father Magcawas took to the pulpit, thanking his family, his father, his home parish in the Philippines –St. Joseph the Worker – and his seminary there. Then he thanked all of the parishes and pastors under whom he served, with special thanks to Father Mauricio TaberaVasquez, his current and new pastor, for always assuring him that he had a home at St. Joseph. Father Magcawas concluded with the prayer “Act of Love” by St. John Vianney.
Father Magcawas grew up in a religious family. His mother had thoughts of becoming a nun, and he has said she
was the greatest influence on his vocation. He was always drawn to prayer and the silence of the church. He joined the choir at the urging of seminarians, who became additional influences on him.
After high school, under the influence of Father Lucero, he entered the seminary. By the time he had completed his training, he was drawn to a life of service, and the lives of the saints, especially St. Jerome, were a great influence.
He said he loved the academic atmosphere of the seminary. “I’m a serious person, so this environment was like a playground to me.”
“My objective is to be a saint. To go to heaven. This is the way,” he said.
In 2023 he was invited to serve in Metuchen for a year, and then to serve at St. Joseph. He is assigned to the newly merged Sts. Joseph and Luke Parish.
Congratulations
Monsignor Charles Cicerale ‘65 on 50 years of ordained priesthood!
From, Your Saint Joseph Family
“God is alive, and he needs people to serve Him and bring Him to others.”
POPE BENEDICT XVI, 10/18/2010
Congratulations
Rev. John C. Grimes and happy 25th anniversary of your ordination to the priesthood!
You have served as Pastor of St. Ambrose Parish with strength and guidance and we wish you continued and abundant blessings. Thank you for caring about each and every one of us and keeping us on the road to Heaven!
With love, thanks, and messages of gratitude, St. Ambrose Church, School, Religious Education Program faculty and staff, and all those parishioners that fill our pews every day!
YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE LORD MSGR. RANDY VASHON 25
On behalf of your parish family at St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Bridgewater, we are proud to celebrate your calling to the Priesthood. Your dedication to God, our parish and diocese is one to be celebrated. Thank you for your hard work, steadfast leadership and spiritual guidance. May God continue to keep you in His loving arms.
Celebrating 60 years of faithful service Fr. Sean Broderick
With hearts full of gratitude, we celebrate the 60th Anniversary of your Ordination to the Priesthood.
Your six decades of faithful ministry have been a powerful testament to God’s grace and your unwavering commitment to serve His people. Through your preaching, your pastoral care, your presence at the altar, and your deep compassion, you have touched countless lives and led many closer to Christ.
Thank you for saying “yes” to God’s call all those years ago – and for continuing to live that “yes” each day with humility, strength, and joy.
May God bless you abundantly in this milestone year, and may your example continue to inspire all those you serve.
With deep appreciation and joy, The Parish Family of Mary Mother of God Church.
Beatitudes: A Portrait of Christ
Someone recently mentioned that one of my favorite actors, Joe Piscopo, went on a 30-day pilgrimage to Rome and visited more than 35 churches. No doubt from his early childhood years, to his Saturday Night Live days, to the present, Joe has continued to grow in greater faith and the love of God that he first learned from his dear mom, Edith (Ida).
I am unsure whether Joe visited the North American College while in Rome, but if so, he would have seen several plaques, all of which speak about what it is like to be a student studying in Rome. One of them reads “Veritate Catholica Romae Instituti Inter Maxima Est Dei Beneficia Recenendum,” which means, “The opportunity to study theology in Rome should be counted as one of God’s greatest gifts.” No doubt, the study of theology, whether in Rome or elsewhere, is a great gift of God. We should all have an interior desire to gain a personal knowledge of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the fullness of God’s revelation and the One true Teacher. Our knowledge of Jesus is acquired not only once, but is continuously deepened within us.
Along the way, we also discover that the Beatitudes are at the core of Christ’s teachings. They fulfill the promises that God made to Abraham and
guide and direct us so we can achieve the desired happiness God planted in our hearts. Throughout salvation history God gave His people guidelines to follow. They are not meant to restrict us, but to bring us happiness and freedom. One example from the Old Testament is God giving Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai (see Exodus 20:1-26). Similarly, Jesus presents us with the Beatitudes in His Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament (see Matthew 5:3-12). The Beatitudes are significant because they are direct teachings from Jesus and portray His charity. They show us how to live, and they shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian life. The Beatitudes bring us true happiness allowing us to see God as He is: Perfect, Holy and Beautiful. This happiness in living the Beatitudes foreshadows the happiness we receive when we see God face to face in Heaven. This is God’s free gift to us.
The mission of Jesus is to take people from the poison of sin and death into the happiness of Heaven. The Beatitudes describe His vision and chart the journey. In his famous work called Summa Theologica (II, II, q.24, a.9), St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that there are three stages of development through which a soul progresses in sharing God’s Divine life.
The first stage is the beginner, called the purgative way. In this stage, the primary focus is to avoid sin and to resist concupiscence, because they lead the soul away from God’s love and can even kill life in the soul. Three of the Beatitudes that relate to this first way, the
purgative stages of cleansing and purification, include:
• Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
• Blessed are those that mourn, for they will be comforted.
• Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land.
These beatitudes teach that happiness is found in fleeing from evil and being delivered from sin. Freedom from sin is the primary focus of beginners in the spiritual life. These three beatitudes contrast sharply with the values of today’s culture.
As we progress in the spiritual life, we enter the second stage called the illuminative way. At this stage, the focus of one’s mind and heart becomes more Christ like.
• Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
• Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
These are the beatitudes that correspond to the thirst for justice and mercy exercised toward one’s neighbor. Our main goal is to progress in good, and this is the pursuit of the proficient, the chief aim of which is to strengthen charity. As St. Paul counsels: “You should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth” (Ephesians 4: 22-24).
The final stage brings us into greater holiness, corresponding to the unitive
Parish Bus Trips Diocesan Jubilee Pilgrimage
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Washington DC, September 20, 2025
way. These Beatitudes bring us to contemplate the mysteries of God.
• Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
• Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
Purity of heart leads to contemplation and prepares our soul to see God. The seventh Beatitude brings radiating peace that gives the soul a deep inner tranquility, allowing us to touch troubled souls and warm our enemies with love, and can end strife with words of reconciliation. This is a peace that only Jesus can bring us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27).
The last Beatitude is the most perfect. Christians are to love God above all things and, consequently, to tend to the universal call to perfection using the means offered to our state in life. We participate in the mystery of Christ through an interior life of grace, actuated by faith, charity, and the other virtues. It is the most perfect Beatitude because it is a totally supernatural Beatitude, being the perfect happiness enjoyed by our nature raised by grace and set on the path to the light of glory – the eternal vision of God, embracing every degree of perfection. It transforms us into the image of Christ, giving us full perfection of Christian life. Father Hillier serves as diocesan director, Office of Pontifical Mission Societies, the Office for Persons with Disabilities and Censor Luborum.
City - Parish Contact person Email Phone
Baptistown - Our Lady of Victories* Garry Lacey gllacey339@gmail.com 908-310-0358
Warren - Our Lady of the Mount** Nancy Stoll parish@stmaryswatchung.org 732-754-1862
Watchung - St. Mary-Stony Hill** Nancy Stoll parish@stmaryswatchung.org 732-754-1862
*Shared Bus Baptistown and Milford **Shared Bus Bridgewater, Warren and Watchung ***Shared Bus
Dunellen & Piscataway
Hundreds flock to Hispanic Pilgrimage at the Blue Army Shrine
By Deacon Patrick Cline Correspondent
In spite of the damp and dreary weather, some 600 faithful from across the Diocese gathered June 14 for “Hispanic Families: Pilgrims of Hope,” the annual Hispanic Pilgrimage at the Blue Army Shrine, Asbury.
Angelina Rodriquez, from Our Lady of Perpetual Hope, Bernardsville, explained the crowd’s commitment, saying, “We are from Hackettstown, Philipsburg, Perth Amboy, all over the Diocese, and this is where we come to honor La Virgen and meet and celebrate with friends both old and new.”
The day began appropriately with a presentation by Roberto Lopez, a member of St. John Paul II Parish, Perth Amboy, on the concept and need of pilgrimage. He said, “In this Jubilee Year we are all called to be Pilgrims of Hope. The year calls us to take on an attitude of hope and set off on a pilgrimage, or setting out on a pilgrimage in our hearts.”
The Diocese of Metuchen has designated four locations within the Diocese
locations.
Additionally there are sites throughout the country and worldwide designated as Pilgrim sites for this year.
Lopez went on to list the requirements for the faithful to gain a plenary indulgence. The indulgence is a remission of temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven through the sacrament of Reconciliation. Throughout the day seven priests from the Diocese were available for those wishing to receive the sacrament.
The Blessed Sacrament was exposed for Eucharistic Adoration followed by a period of silence for personal reflection. Then Deacon Hernando Patino, who serves at St. Magdalen de Pazzi Parish, Flemington, led the congregation in a series of guided meditations related to the Church’s Jubilee theme “Hope Does Not Disappoint.” This Holy Hour was intended to assist the Hispanic community to face and deal with uncertainties they experience today, including economic challenges, immigration issues and discrimination.
The meditations were structured into four moments of reflections: Presence of God – the Gaze of Jesus; Wounds of Hope – Healing Profession of Faith; Litanies of
Presence and Inner Healing and Litanies of Forgiveness; Trust and Hope.
Each meditation consisted of a period of silence, then the guided mediation followed by a hymn. To enrich the Holy Hour the selection of hymns included the traditional Latin hymns for Exposition and Benediction as well as meditative hymns sung in Spanish.
The Holy Hour concluded with a communal prayer recognizing Jesus as the companion of migrants and the hope of all those who struggle. Then Deacon Patino processed the Blessed Sacrament throughout the Shrine Chapel.
The principal celebrant of the Mass in the afternoon was Father Ronal Vega, parochial vicar at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bernardsville. Father Gustavo Rodriguez, parochial vicar, Immaculate Conception Parish, Somerville, concelebrated. Deacon Edgar Chaves, director,
The Blue Army Shrine, Asbury, was the site of the joyous Annual Hispanic Pilgrimage June 14. Some 600 faithful from throughout the Diocese were present for the program of prayer, guided meditation, reflection, song and Eucharistic Adoration. During a procession of La Virgen around the shrine, pilgrims waved blue and white flags or scarves signifying her purity and peace. The faithful concluded with a recitation of the Rosary. —Hal Brown photos
Diocesan Hispanic Evangelization Office, was the homilist.
Reflecting on the Gospel of Luke, when Jesus “came to Nazareth where he had been reared, and went according to his custom into the synagogue,” Deacon Chaves directed his homily especially to the fathers in the congregation.
He reminded everyone of the customs that are such an integral part of the Hispanic tradition, and asked, “What are we teaching today to our families, our youth and future generations?” Deacon Chaves then challenged the congregation to consider, “As Catholics are we teach-
ing customs that do not emphasize Mass attendance as a critical part of lives or do we teach customs that prioritize attending Mass every Sunday?”
The day of Pilgrimage ended with the community reciting the Rosary as the great number of pilgrims processed around the Shrine.
Additional Jubilee pilgrimage sites in the Diocese to gain a Jubilee Indulgence include the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen; Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Raritan, and the National Shrine of St. Lucy Filippini (inside St. Mary of Mt. Virgin Church), New Brunswick.
Webinar to highlight NaProTechnologyTM as effective, ethical approach to fertility care
By Mary Morrell, Editor-in-Chief
“Promoting knowledge of fertility and natural methods … has great pastoral value,” wrote Pope Francis in a message to couples for a 2023 fertility congress, noting, “It helps couples to be more conscious of their marital vocation and to bear witness to the Gospel values of human sexuality.”
This insight is key to the mission of the diocesan Office of Family Life which has scheduled a free webinar, “A Natural Approach to Fertility Care” July 24, 7 p.m. on Zoom.
Presenter for the webinar, Dr. Monika Potocki of St Peter’s Gianna Center, New Brunswick, will discuss NaProTechnology, an effective and ethical approach to fertility care in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Dr. Potocki started at the Gianna Center in April of 2024.
Cristina D’Averso-Collins, diocesan director, Office of Family Life, shared her vision, saying, “I would like more people to become aware of all that is available in the realm of ethical fertility care. I often encounter people who have never heard of NaPro technology and instead felt forced into IVF, thinking that it was their only option. We need to share the good news of NFP [Natural Family Planning] and NaPro.
“All that our Church teaches is both ethically and medically sound. I’m extremely passionate about this and that is why I wanted to do the webinar. I also make this a large focus of our God’s plan marriage preparation so that couples are presented with this before making fertility decisions with irreversible ethical and physical consequences. We are getting a wonderful response to the webinar and are finding that these virtual options are proving highly effective in reaching more people.”
Saint Peter’s Gianna Center, dedicated to providing a more natural alternative to assisted reproductive technolo-
gies, in accordance with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, offers unique women’s health services such as NaProTechnology™ – Natural Procreative Technology – which provides restorative, scientifically-based approaches to monitoring health and managing fertility.
In their July 2024 press release, St. Peter’s University Hospital writes, “As an obstetrician/gynecologist who also provides comprehensive gynecologic care, Dr. Potocki is the only New Jersey-based physician specializing in surgical NaProTechnology.”
Dr. Potocki stressed, “The Gianna Center focuses on finding the underlying causes of gynecologic problems, which include infertility, and doing all we can to heal or treat them so that the woman can feel better and become pregnant through natural means.”
Generally, she said, “NaProTechnology research indicates 40% of infertile couples will become pregnant within a year of using NaProTechnology, 60% within two years, and almost 70% within three years. This is an average, however, and some patients will have a higher success rate and some will have a lower one, depending on what is causing their infertility and their age.”
For Catholic patients, or those concerned about some of the negative aspects of in-vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technologies, NaProTechnology offers an alternative, because, said Dr. Potocki, “we focus on getting patients to a place where they are able to become pregnant on their own,
Dr. Monika Potocki, standing, an obstetrician-gynecologist serving the Gianna Center, reviews charts with nurse Amanda Joyce at St.
so we don’t run into ethical problems such as storage or destruction of extra or abnormal embryos, or sex-selection of embryos.”
“When a couple can’t conceive, the process includes a number of steps. We usually start by asking couples to chart using the Creighton Model FertilityCare System, which allows us to learn quite a bit about the woman’s cycles,” said Dr. Potocki. “We then time blood tests and, in cases of infertility, ultrasound tests, to the woman’s Creighton Model chart. Many times, these tests reveal problems with the woman’s hormonal levels or with her ovulations. We then use medications to correct these problems. Also, we check the husband’s fertility using ethical means. If, after multiple months of taking medications, the patient has not become pregnant, we may suggest a surgical evaluation to see if there is anything wrong with her anatomy,” she said.
During her time at the Center, Dr. Potocki has had many grateful couples offer thanks, saying how nice it is to have a healthcare provider take their symptoms seriously and spend significant time with them. “I have also gotten some very nice and memorable messages from patients who credit the work of our Center in helping them achieve long-awaited pregnancies,” Dr. Potocki recalled.
“I truly wish that more people would be aware of NaProTechnology earlier in
their lives,” she said. “Unfortunately, many patients find their way to the Gianna Center in their late thirties or early forties (some of them having failed to get pregnant through IVF) simply because they have not heard of NaProTechnology before then, and by that point, their chances of achieving pregnancy are lower than if they had been in their twenties or early thirties, although some of them can still have successful pregnancies.”
Known for her dedication to patient-centered care and advancing the mission of Saint Peter’s Gianna Center, Dr. Potocki maintains a deep commitment to honoring a woman’s dignity and the sanctity of human life.
Dr. Potocki, a graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., completed her residency at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, New Jersey. She is also a graduate of the St. John Paul the Great Fellowship in Medical & Surgical NaProTechnology, at Saint Paul VI Institute, Omaha, Neb.
To register for the July 24 Zoom webinar, please visit https://diometuchen.org/ familylife. For questions, please contact Cristina at cdaverso@diometuchen.org
For more information about Saint Peter’s Gianna Center, please call (732) 565-5490 or visit saintpetershcs.com/ giannacenter.
Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick. —Photo courtesy of St. Peter’s University Hospital
In this Jubilee Year, LOURDES is an experience of hope
By Father Michael Fragoso Special Contributor
In May I received the much anticipated “Bulletin” of the International Medical Association of Lourdes (known by its French acronym A.M.I.L.). As I expected, the issue was dedicated to the 71st approved miracle attributed to the intercession of Our Lady. Archbishop McMahon of Liverpool, England, declared the healing of John “Jack” Traynor determined to be beyond the realm of medical science or scientific explanation to be, furthermore, of divine origin.
There are thousands of unexplained cures at Lourdes but only 71 have been declared miracles. One reason is the rigorous criteria which were developed by Cardinal Prospero Lambertini (later Pope Benedict XIV, 1740-1758). Briefly stated: the disease must be serious and impossible to cure (at least very difficult); it must be at a stage where it will not regress by itself; no medical treatment “in reference to the cure” was given; the cure must be instantaneous, complete; and not preceded by anything which would make it possible that the cure was wholly or partially natural.
These are basically the criteria that are used today. There is an international panel of physicians. They examine the facts over several years to be sure that there is no recurrence. Then the report is sent to the bishop of the diocese where the person was from and, if he chooses, he can convene a commission of experts in theology and canon law and medicine, and if they come to the conclusion that it of Divine origin, the Bishop may declare it a miracle.
These quite rigorous criteria and the time involved for the person cured, the physicians and the diocese partially explains why only 71 of the thousands of unexplained cures at Lourdes are officially accepted.
Jack Traynor was an Englishman from Liverpool. He enlisted in the Navy in World War I and was sent to Belgium as a driver. He was hit with shrapnel to the head and transported unconscious to England where after surgery he was unconscious for five weeks. Three months later he was sent to Egypt and took part in the Gallipoli campaign where he was seriously wounded in a bayonet charge sustaining three machine gun bullets: two to the chest causing heavy blood loss and one in the right arm passing through the nerves of the arm and later removed from under the collar bone, leaving his arm useless.
Three attempts at nerve repairs were fruitless, and amputation was advised which he refused. In the meantime he developed seizures and was deemed “permanently unfit” and received a pension. Meanwhile he developed seizures – on average three per day. His trials were not at an end as the remaining shrapnel in his head migrated and caused loss of use of his lower extremities, incontinence of
bowel and bladder, dizziness and loss of memory. A flap was left surgically on the side of his skull. He was confined to bed.
In July 1923, he borrowed £13 and, after much effort and convincing, he was accepted in the first pilgrimage to Lourdes by the Archdiocese of Liverpool. At Lourdes he stayed at L’Asile, the hospital quarters. The report by Dr. Auguste Vallet, president of the Medical Bureau at Lourdes described his presentation:
“The man, reduced by the number and severity of his wounds to the state of a poor human wreck, was soon destined
pulsations stopped.” There would be no more seizures.
He returned a year later as a volunteer stretcher bearer, carrying patients, as he did every year thereafter. He was examined again. Strength and mobility had returned and was seizure free. He was 41 years old. “His pathologies museum, once closed, has never reopened.” He lived for another 20 years and worked, among other things, shoveling coal.
That is not the end of the miracle. The people of Liverpool knew it was a miracle but the reports were lost at
ailments…He found something better: a complete cure.”
Dr. Vallet goes on to describe Traynor’s condition: “… this man was a veritable pathological museum.” He found complete paralysis of the right arm with loss of muscle mass to the shoulder and right chest down to the useless claw-like hand. A one inch wound to the right side of the head with loss of skull so that the pulsations could be seen and felt by touch. Paralysis of the lower limbs. Loss of bowel and bladder control. Loss of sensation over large parts of his body. Finally, seizures recurring up to three times a day. He had use of his left arm and hand.
Jack went to the devotions and baths and during the Eucharistic procession while lying on a stretcher, as the Blessed Sacrament went by, he felt a sense of wellness. He suddenly realized that he had not one but four limbs and that he could walk! On examination, he had regained feeling and purposeful movement in his limbs, he had normal reflexes and he could walk with difficulty. Two days later the doctor reported that “he could walk perfectly … recovered the use and function of his right arm…recovered feeling in his lower limbs … the opening in his skull shrank and the
that visit. I may also say that caring priests are needed. The benefits are not only physical but also spiritual. Our Lady told St. Bernadette, “I do not promise to make you happy in this world but in the other.”
One of the greatest experiences in my life as a priest was serving as Auxiliary Anglophone Confessor at the Sanctuary of Lourdes. I heard confession six and a half hours a day for three weeks at the place which was L’Asile where Jack Traynor stayed and now is the Hall of Confessions. Jack Traynor’s miracle represents hope for the Church. Dr. de Franciscis
In the Lourdes sanctuary, left, a side altar is dedicated to Saint Bernadette, where her relics are venerated. At right, the Grotto at Lourdes where the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Saint Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. —Father Michael Fragoso photos
Lourdes and not sent to the Archbishop of Liverpool. One hundred years later, Dr. Sandro de Franciscis, president of the Medical Bureau asked Dr. Kieran Moriarty, a British member of the International Medical Committee of Lourdes to examine the documents. He did this and found a reference to the report by Dr. Vallet which had been lost.
This was tracked down and it presented in great detail the medical evidence that had been lacking. That along with other testimony, including the diary of Archbishop Keating of Liverpool who led that first pilgrimage in 1923, was then forwarded to the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Archbishop McMahon convened an ecclesiastical commission and the Archbishop solemnly decreed the 71st miracle on Feb. 18, 2025, the feast of St Bernadette Soubirous (in the old calendar).
What does that mean for us? My colleague, Dr. de Franciscis, says that, especially in this Jubilee Year, it shows us hope. Hope for Lourdes, for the health professionals associated with Lourdes from all over the world, and particularly for the millions of pilgrims who visit the Shrine of Lourdes every year.
It is the only shrine in the world with the special competence to welcome sick pilgrims. Caring health professionals are needed to care for the many sick pilgrims
quotes St. John Paul II “… in the loving and generous acceptance of every human life, especially the weak and sick, [the Church] lives today a fundamental moment of her mission.” The closer we are to the sick and the dying in our care for them, the closer we are to Jesus Himself. It also represents hope for the world. As Pope Francis wrote, “How often, at the bedside of the sick, do we learn to hope! How often, by our closeness to those who suffer, do we learn to have faith! How often, when we care for those in need, do we discover love!”
Nobody who goes to Lourdes leaves empty-handed. “ALL [are] heard. Some have healing from illness, some others healing of the heart and all the gift of serenity in accepting the present …The mystery of illness opens to the hope that prepares us for Paradise!”
There is even more to tell. Just recently, the Bishop of Tursi-Lagonegro has declared that Mrs. Antonia Raco Lofiego, who was confined to a wheel chair due to Primary Lateral Sclerosis, was completely healed by the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes and is the 72nd approved miracle. I’ll have to wait for the next “Bulletin” to find out about that one.
Father Michael Fragoso, a former pediatrician, serves as pastor, Parish of the Visitation, New Brunswick.
One Spirit, One Church: A Pentecost vigil of unity and renewal
By Adriana Molina, Correspondent
On Saturday, June 7, the Hispanic Charismatic Renewal Movement of the Diocese of Metuchen joyfully gathered for its annual Hispanic Pentecost Vigil. Hosted at St. Joseph Parish in Bound Brook, the event brought together prayer groups from 27 parishes for an evening of praise, worship, and spiritual renewal – marking a joyful close to the Easter season.
Before the vigil began, the community celebrated the Holy Mass, presided over by Msgr. Joseph Kerrigan and assisted by Deacons Edgar Chaves and Gustavo Sandoval, who offered a warm welcome to all. In his homily, Msgr. Kerrigan reminded the faithful that Pentecost is more than a feast – it’s a personal invitation to allow the Holy Spirit to comfort, inspire, and ignite our hearts for joyful service. Welcoming the Charismatic Movement into the parish, he said, symbolized opening hearts to a fresh outpouring of God’s grace.
Pablo Torres and Hilaria Noyola, members of “Jesus, Fountain of Love” at The Parish of the Visitation in New Brunswick, have been part of the move-
ment for 15 years. They shared how this Jubilee Year has deepened their spiritual lives through prayer, the Eucharist, and Confession, leading up to the joy of the vigil – a time to be renewed and ask God to continue working in their families.
The evening program began at 8 p.m. with vibrant praise and worship led by the movement’s music ministry. Communal prayer and songs of praise created an atmosphere of deep encounter with the living God.
María Isabel Santos, a young adult from the “Heart of Mary” group at St. Joseph Parish, joined the movement just six months ago after a retreat experience.
St. Joseph Parish, Bound Brook, was the site of the diocesan Hispanic Charismatic Renewal Movement’s Pentecost Vigil June 7, bringing together 27 prayer groups of the Diocese to celebrate the conclusion of the Church’s Easter season. Msgr. Joseph Kerrigan served as principal celebrant and reminded the congregation it is “a personal invitation to allow the Holy Spirit to comfort, inspire, and ignite our hearts for joyful service.” — John Batkowski photos
“That retreat opened my heart to God’s love,” she said. “To all young people: don’t be ashamed to follow God. He’s not boring. He didn’t ask our permission to create us – but He does ask our permission to save us.”
Pedro Rojas, from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in New Brunswick, has been in the movement for 12 years and also serves in the parish music ministry. “Though I came tonight spiritually tired, I know I’ll leave renewed by the peace Jesus promised through the Holy Spirit,” he said. “Today I ask God for the gift of discernment – a gift we truly need today.”
Oscar Martínez, of Sts. Joseph and Luke Parish in North Plainfield, has been part of the Renewal for 18 years. “God is present in His Church,” he said, “and strengthens it day by day.”
Edith García, from St. Magdalene de Pazzi Parish in Flemington, shared how she and her family have walked together in the movement for 17 years. “These have been years of transformation and conversion,” she said. “Through the Holy Spirit’s gifts, we see the invisible and live the impossible. Our hearts beat with God’s grace, knowing His love lights the way and breaks every chain.”
Deacon James Prumos proclaimed
the Gospel, followed by a homily from Msgr. John Gordon of St. Joseph Parish, Carteret. He invited the faithful to welcome the Word made flesh into their hearts and let it bear fruit. “Receive the gifts that touch our hearts with divine love,” he said. “Let them flourish in our lives. Offer everything and expect everything from God.”
Msgr. Gordon reminded the assembly that Jesus asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to the disciples, making them true disciples of the Gospel just as we are called to be today. “The power of God remains with us through the Holy Spirit. Tonight, we ask for the gifts we need to continue walking the path of salvation Christ has laid before us.”
He emphasized that Pentecost renews the Church’s mission to reignite the fire of the Spirit, live with active faith, and embrace a life of joyful service. In this Jubilee Year of Hope, he said, the Hispanic community gathers with joy and purpose, ready to walk in grace and fulfill God’s work in the world.
The vigil concluded with Eucharistic Adoration, sealing the evening in a spirit of deep communion with the Lord, an outpouring of love in the presence of Christ that left hearts renewed and inspired.
Knights support patriotism, reactivate assembly during ceremony
By Christina Leslie, Contributing Editor
Thirty stalwart Catholics, eager to profess their love of God and country, gathered in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi June 1 for the Metuchen Diocese’s first public Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Exemplification. The ceremony marked the initiation of Knights into the fourth degree which focuses on patriotism, responsible citizenship and devotion to country.
Father Timothy Christy, Cathedral rector, served as principal celebrant of the
and banquet. Steve Jurcsek, Past Grand Knight of the St. Francis Council 3272, noted, “The event was especially meaningful as we welcomed men from councils across the Diocese into the fourth degree.”
During the degree, Father Christy and Cathedral parochial vicar Father Dawid Malik joined 28 other Knights as fourth degree members; Jurcsek explained, “With their inclusion, we meet the required number of members to re-instate the Holy Innocents Assembly 1665 which had been inactive for some time.”
The Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882 by a Connecticut priest,
A Time to Remember
Members of the diaconate class of 2015 commemorated their 10th anniversary June 8 with dinner held in Bruno’s Bistro, Warren. Pictured from left to right are, seated, diocesan director of the Diaconate Deacon Stephen and Rosemary Kern, Deacon Thomas and Annette Griffoul, Deacon Patrick and Anne Gutsick, Deacon Greg and Zoraida Rios. Standing are Deacon Roel Mercado, Deacon Peter D’Angelo, formation director Deacon Patrick and Vivian Cline, Deacon Mark and Sandra Hennicke, Deacon Patrick and Kimberly Smith, Deacon Thomas and Patricia Sommero, Deacon Scott and Beatrice Titmas, and Deacon Rick and Ivelis Fortune. —Courtesy photo
Blessed Michael McGivney, with the goal of uniting Catholic men under the core principles of charity, unity and fraternity. A fourth principle – patriotism – was added in 1900 to illustrate the men can be loyal to both country and their Catholic faith. Formerly conducted privately, the fourth degree ceremony now welcomes family and friends to witness the faithfilled promises made by the men.
Fourth degree Knights of Columbus not only belong to parish-based councils but are also members of an Assembly made up of Knights from numerous area councils. The title “Sir Knight” is bestowed on a member once he is “dubbed with a sword” during the fourth-degree exemplification. All Sir Knights of the fourth degree are third degree members in good standing; of the 2.1 million Knights worldwide, fewer than 18% are members of the fourth degree.
Jurcsek, who serves as Faithful Navigator in the Holy Innocents Assembly 1665, anticipates the Knights will exemplify their dual quests to serve both God and country. They plan to take an active role in Church functions such as serving as Color Corps members at special diocesan Masses and functions with Bishop James F. Checchio; Knights also have donated time and labor towards assisting St. Vincent de Paul projects, Life Choices Resource Center, Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home and the Ozanam Shelter.
Jurcsek concluded, “Our members are eager to show how Catholics are a vital and patriotic part of our local community, actively supporting the values that make our town, state and nation strong. The Assembly will commit to serving veterans and vulnerable neighbors, and to becoming a more visible presence at community events such as parades and commemorations.”
The Diocese of Metuchen held its first public Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Exemplification and re-activated the organization’s Holy Innocents Assembly 1665 June 1 in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi. Thirty laymen and clergy were inducted in the Fourth Degree which focuses on patriotism and community service.
Left, Steve Jurcsek, Faithful Navigator of the Assembly, stands with John Brandon, who conducted the degree. At right is Brandon, Cathedral rector Father Timothy Christy, and Raymond Sands, Former State Deputy. — Steve Jurcsek photos
Celebrating enriches the faith of hundreds
By Roberta Mauer, Special Contributor
Hundreds of faithful of all ages united in a public declaration of praise and prayer as Our Lady of Fatima Parish held its third annual Corpus Christi procession June 22 in Piscataway. Laity, deacons and local organizations shared in the preparation for this beloved event led by pastor Father Arlindo Paul Da Silva.
As Father Gregory Zannetti, parochial vicar in St. John Vianney Parish, Colonia, left the church with the Most Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance, twelve white doves were released. Supporting the canopy during the seven-block route were 12 parishioners, alternating every two blocks. Following in procession were members of the Knights of Columbus, Commodore John Barry Council 2544 of Dunellen; altar servers; seminarians of the Metuchen Diocese; deacons; priests and religious.
Children dressed as angels and first communicants bore nine Eucharistic banners and spread flower petals along the procession route before the Blessed Sacrament. Many of the flowers had been donated by parishioners, evoking the Parable of the loaves and fishes just before the procession began.
Security for the route was provided by the Blue Knights – Chapter 8, NJ Honor Guard motor unit and the Piscataway Police department. Prayer leader Raffi Villongco and cantors Veronica Klein and seminarian David Watchorn led the faithful in sung praise. Parish parochial vicars Fathers Robert V. Meyers and
Robert Pinnisi led those unable to walk in the procession in prayer and song.
Participants expressed their enthusiastic appreciation. One participant stated, “Even the police were praying with us. So many residents stepped out of their homes to watch and pray. What a blessing!” Another woman who had donated flower petals, noted she loved the prayers and hymns and couldn’t wait for next year, saying, “I feel like I am in heaven already.”
As the procession wound its way back to the church, solemn Eucharistic Benediction followed additional prayers and hymns. A reception followed, allowing time for the participants to share their experiences.
Father Da Silva explained how the procession was an integral part of the parish’s love of Christ. “At the heart of our Catholic Faith is the Holy Eucharist since the Eucharist is none other than Christ Himself. That is why we must do everything we can to promote greater faith and devotion to the Eucharist.”
The pastor noted the Our Lady of Fatima community further expresses its love of the Corpus Christi through Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in its Eucharistic Adoration Chapel.
“This year’s procession was especially beautiful and a true manifestation of faith,” he said. “Despite the extreme heat, many people, including a good number of children, took part in the procession. Many even volunteered, carrying flowers, religious flags and other objects, which added to the beauty and solemnity
Faithful of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Piscataway, proclaimed their love out loud during the third annual Corpus Christi procession June 14. Under the direction of pastor Father Arlindo Paul Da Silva, the monstrance was carried under a canopy in the outdoor seven-block route, as members of the Knights of Columbus; altar servers; First Communicants; seminarians of the Metuchen Diocese; deacons; priests and religious celebrated the Body and Blood of Christ. —Mark Lee photos
of the event… many who attended this year’s Corpus Christi Procession have already expressed their desire to return and volunteer at next year’s procession.”
Father Da Silva concluded, “I hope that others will take part in it next year and experience it for themselves. I am blessed
to work with such people and I hope and pray that others will join them so that these expressions of our Catholic devotion may continue for many years to come.”
Roberta Maurer serves as director of stewardship for Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Piscataway.
Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament
The Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Raritan, celebrated the Solemnity of Corpus Christi June 22 with a procession after Mass, Benediction and a picnic. —Hal Brown photos
The Heavenly Bread and the Cup of Salvation
By Adriana Molina, Correspondent
As part of the Year of Pilgrims of Hope, the Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament, a group from the Parish of The Visitation, New Brunswick, celebrated their third annual Corpus Christi Vigil, a night of worship and spiritual renewal centered on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
The vigil took place on June 21, beginning with the celebration of Holy Mass by Father Michael Fragoso, pastor, and assisted by Deacon José Miguel Suárez. In his homily, Father Fragoso reflected on the Gospel passage of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, emphasizing the compassionate gesture of Jesus as He welcomed and fed the multitude. With a touch of humor, he remarked that there were “no McDonald’s or Dunkin’ Donuts nearby,” highlighting that the true miracle was the abundance that symbolized the heavenly banquet an anticipation of the Eucharist and the great feast of the Kingdom that Jesus offers His people.
Father Fragoso underscored that the actions of Jesus – taking, blessing, breaking, and giving – are repeated at the Last Supper and in every celebration of the Eucharist, where we make present His sacrifice on Calvary. “The Eucharist,” he affirmed, “is thanksgiving, offering,
praise, and adoration. Without it, the community loses its true meaning.”
Following the Mass, the Exposition and Procession of the Blessed Sacrament – the heart of the vigil – began where the faithful adored Jesus, alive and present in the Eucharist. This time of nocturnal adoration offered the faithful a chance to renew their faith and encounter the Lord in a deeply personal, transformative way as the source of all hope.
Vicky Tizón, a member of the Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament, shared her joy in helping prepare for the vigil. “It’s a gift Jesus left us, a nourishment that transforms the soul. We prepared with hymns, Scripture, and prayer
At left, members of the Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament, a group from the Parish of The Visitation, New Brunswick, celebrated their third annual Corpus Christi Vigil June 21. The night of worship and spiritual renewal began with the celebration of a Holy Mass by pastor Father Michael Fragoso. —Adriana Molina photo
to welcome Him with open hearts and share His presence with the whole community,” she said. Tizón also highlighted the importance of weekly adoration each Friday after the 7:00 p.m. Mass, inviting everyone to experience it as a special encounter with the Lord.
Carlos Mesa, a young musician and lector participating in the vigil for the first time, shared his heartfelt testimony: “I feel the Lord’s light nourishing our hearts. Being in a state of grace for this life-changing banquet is essential. Through adoration, I’ve experienced a closeness to God I hadn’t felt in a long time. Even far from my family, I feel at home in His presence.”
The Solemnity of Corpus Christi, established in 1264, remains one of the most profound feasts of the Church, during which we proclaim our belief in the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. As Saint John Paul II reminded us:
“The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this Sacrament of love. Let our adoration never cease.” (Dominicae Cenae, 1980)
“For me, holiness begins with charity, born when we draw near the pierced side of Christ,” shared Astrid Corcelles, who also attended the Corpus Christi Vigil last year. “In the Eucharist, I encounter God’s generous love poured out for us. To adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is to contemplate ‘God with us’ – Christ who nourishes and sustains His Church. In this Sacrament of sacraments, we receive the greatest gift: Jesus Himself, the Bread of Eternal Life,” Corcelles said.
The evening was enriched by moments of meditation and prayer, beautifully guided by music that inspired reverence and heartfelt praise. The parish choir, joined by the adoration music ministry, led the congregation in Eucharistic hymns that uplifted the soul and united the faithful in worship. Throughout the procession and each moment of adoration, the music served as a channel of grace, opening hearts to the living mystery of Christ truly present in the Eucharist.
We can give resonance to God’s word
Some time ago, one of our Nuns shared a photo of her young nephew showing off his homemade guitar. He was about eleven years old, and the “guitar” was a flat wooden board cut in the shape of a guitar with the strings strung along the surface. As a stage prop, it was a good piece of woodworking. As a musical instrument, it had the most important component, which are the strings. For a string instrument, obviously, the strings are the primary part of the whole structure. No strings, no sound. Moreover, the strings need to be strung to the correct tension in order to be in tune with one another. But of themselves the strings aren’t enough. Present in the right position and strung to the correct tension, when plucked, they will produce the accurate sound. But the accurate sound is still not the correct sound. The sound of a string is a small sound that does not carry and cannot be heard except from very close. It does not reach to others. The correct
JUBILEE 2025
sound is the sound of the plucked string resonating within the body of the guitar through the soundhole, the round hole opening into the guitar’s body. This is the complete sound that carries through space to the hearers. It is produced by the vibrating of the string multiplied within the empty space within the body of the guitar. It is a full rich, three-dimensional sound. This is how all string instruments produce sound: violins, guitars, harps.
It is the same with words. A word is a sound with meaning in the mind of the speaker, a meaning that can be grasped by the one who listens. But words, like musical sounds, also have resonance. This is the vibration that the word effects in my heart. A word can mean something in my mind, but it may not touch my heart. Such a word has no resonance. It is like the sound from an imitation guitar. If I share it with someone else, it will have little effect on them.
A word that touches my heart vibrates with more than just its meaning in my mind. It is enriched by the resonance that flows from its effect in my life. Its resonance can be joyful, it can be painful, it can have different qualities and call forth different emotions, but it is never flat or superficial. It is full, and it touches other people. It is a living word, a word rich with my very life.
God’s word can act in the same
ways. When we hear the word of God proclaimed at Mass, the readings and the prayers may flow over me, like meaningless sounds. Or they can touch my mind, carrying meaning for pondering. Or they can resonate richly, touching my heart and vibrating through my whole being and going out through my actions to touch other people. Their effect depends on the structure of my life. Am I like an imitation guitar, a two dimensional person with little depth to my heart? Or is my heart free of unimportant clutter, with the space to give resonance to what I hear? Am I open to being touched and changed by God?
There is a prayer that the priest says quietly before he proclaims the Gospel: “Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God, that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.” We can pray the same prayer when we read Scripture. We can also pray a similar prayer before listening to Scripture: “Cleanse my heart and open my ears, almighty God, that I may truly hear your holy Gospel.” Jesus touched the ears and mouth of a deaf man and said, “Ephpheta.” “Be opened.” “And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke
plainly” (Mk. 7, 35). We can pray to receive a similar grace, to be opened in our mind, heart and body, that we may richly proclaim God’s word in both our speech and our action.
Sister Gabriela of the Incarnation is a member of the Discalced Carmelites order in Flemington. Learn more at www. flemingtoncarmel.org.
Diocesan Jubilee Pilgrimages
Friday, September 12, 2025
Radio icon Kevin Matthews shares the inspiring story behind his book “Mary’s Roadie” and how a broken statue of Mary changed his life. Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi 548 Main Street, Metuchen, NJ 08840
7:00 PM: Praise and worship, Eucharistic Adoration, talk and book signing by Kevin Matthews
Saturday, September 13, 2025
108th Anniversary of the Fourth Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima
National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima 674 Mountain View Road E, Asbury, NJ 08802
12:30 PM: Talk by Kevin Matthews
1:15 PM: Holy Mass with celebrant, Most Rev. James F. Checchio
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Diocesan Jubilee Pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception 400 Michigan Avenue, Northeast. Washington, DC 20017 with Most Rev. James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA Bishop of Diocese of Metuchen, NJ
Saint Cecilia, by Guido Reni, 1606, from the Public Domain
Life Choices Resource Center celebrates four decades of service
By Christina Leslie Contributing Editor
The statistics are a God-given grace – over 4,000 served last year, resulting in some 45 lives saved. Those numbers tell the life-affirming story of those who tirelessly minister at a small office space on Metuchen’s Main Street.
Little wonder that more than 250 faithful paused to rejoice and give thanks at a Mass celebrated by Bishop James F. Checchio in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi June 12 to mark the 40th anniversary of Life Choices Resources Center, which has been so influential in saving lives and changing minds.
Father Sean G. Winters, director of the Office of Prison Ministry and Coordinator of Hospital Chaplains, served as homilist as he congratulated those prolife advocates in the congregation while urging them to continue their efforts with renewed vigor.
“The Church’s mission is that we must be supporting of life, standing for life, and not be afraid to say it,” Father Winters said. “Life is not cheap, it is sacred.” Reminding them of the 1960’s television drama “Mission: Impossible,” the priest said, “I am telling you here tonight: accept the mission and support life. It’s the greatest thing you can do.”
Following the Mass was a banquet in the parish hall; testimonial videos from former clients prompted smiles and workers rejoiced in that success and faith-filled service to the Diocese and beyond.
Jo Ann Gerling, Chairperson of LCRC’s Board of Directors, reminded the supporters, “We are all in this together,” and relayed the history of the
organization which began in 1985 in the basement of a Cathedral parishioner, the late Rose Mary Lyons. Lyons, a staunch defender of life, had begun the center to aid women in difficult or unplanned pregnancies. The center aids these women to choose life for their babies by providing them with practical, emotional, spiritual and material support.
LCRC, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, proclaims in its mission statement they will “promote and defend the sanctity of all human life, born and unborn, through the provision of abortion-alternative services and resources that empower mothers and families to choose life. We provide loving help, hope, and healing, recognizing that each human being is made in the image and likeness of God, and we value each life as His gift.”
The center promotes chastity, family life and Natural Family Planning, and does not refer its clients for abortions or any birth control devices.
Gerling enumerated LCRC’s numerous available resources – a full-time medical sonographer, pregnancy testing, adoption resources, online and in-person classes on a variety of subjects, community assistance referrals, a student ambassador program, and a 24-hour hotline and text line, among others – and attested, “This has been a labor of love.”
Jamie Ippolito-Trott, the center’s Director of Ultrasound, added, “When you walk in, we never know what we will face inside those four walls. Some days we walk out smiling, other days we are in tears. Every client is different, but we are still doing the same thing Rose Mary Lyons did. We give hope in a dark world… The world needs joy. That’s what it’s all about.”
The June 12 reception celebrating 40 years of service to pregnant women and families by the Life Choices Resource Center, Metuchen, featured, from top, a display of memorabilia from the archives of founder Rose Mary Lyons; words of gratitude from Elaine Yunker (left), director of outreach, and Jo Ann Gerling (right), board of directors chair, as well as (bottom) the joyful witness of lay and religious supporters, including, from left, Sister Rebecca Piatek, pastoral associate, St. Helena Parish, Edison; Filippini Sisters Josephine Galasso, Kindergarten teacher, St. Francis Cathedral School; Sister Alice Ivanyo, PCL, Our Lady of Victories Parish, Sayreville, and Sister Mary Louise Shulas, diocesan Office of Schools director of curriculum.
—Mary Morrell photos
Is NFP finally breaking into medical schools?
Dr. Marguerite Duane didn’t learn about natural family planning – also called fertility awareness-based methods, or FABMs – until after medical school. Shocked by the lack of education on the topic, she made it her mission to change that. Now, Duane is a national leader in NFP education. She is co-founder and executive director of FACTS about Fertility, a Lancaster-based medical educational organization that trains health care
professionals in evidence-based natural family planning.
She also teaches an elective course on FABMs at Georgetown University in Washington and directs a fertility awareness research center at Duquesne University’s new medical school in Pittsburgh. Duane said too few doctors are trained in these methods, which limits women’s access to these methods. “This is good women’s health care,” she said. “It’s not just good for Catholics – it’s good science.” Duane sees a growing interest by medical educators as well as a growing awareness of the culture of FABMs, and that makes her hopeful for the future where she will no longer need to advocate for NFP. Natural Family Planning Awareness Week runs from July 20-26 with the theme “Create Hope for the Future!”
Local mom requests blessing of bikes, cyclists at Middlesex parish
With spring and summer weather encouraging bike riders, Father David Skoblow, pastor, Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish, Middlesex, offered a blessing of bicycles and cyclists June 17 to local cyclists.
The blessing was requested by a local mom in the wake of an accident in which a cyclist sustained a serious injury in a collision with a car.
Father Skoblow prayed that the
bicycles would “carry their riders safely” and that the riders would treat their cycles with due care and keep them properly maintained; that they would always respect the rules of the road, and that they would take care to ensure that they ride safely and do not cause injury to themselves or anyone around them.
The cyclists were reminded of the importance of always wearing a helmet while riding.
During the brief ceremony, Father Skoblow invoked the intercession of La Madonna del Ghisello, the patroness of cyclists. Ghisello is located near Lake Como in northern Italy. The Madonna had long been the patroness of local travelers. More recently, the hill on which the local church is located was made part of the Giro di Lombardia bicycle race.
La Madonna del Ghisello was declared the patroness of cyclists by Pope Pius
KOC and
St. Bartholomew Knights of Columbus Council No.11873 recently conducted a fundraising drive for organizations bene fitting individuals with special needs. The council presented a check in the amount of $2,333 to GiGi’s Playhouse in Hillsbor ough. GiGi’s provides free educational, therapeutic and career development programs to individuals with Down Syndrome. Pictured, from left, Grand Knight Dave Zarnowski; Britta Shrewsbury, GiGi’s Playhouse manager; MacKenzie Molish, a GiGi’s program participant; Drive Chairman Leo Fitzgerald, and Deacon Anthony Gostkowski. —Courtesy photo.
XII in 1949. The local church, which is dedicated in her honor, contains a small cycling museum, including an eternal flame that burns in memory of cyclists who have died.
One of the artifacts in the museum is the damaged bicycle that a local native, 24-year-old Olympic gold medalist Fabio Casartelli, rode the day he died while participating in the 1995 Tour de France.
Caritas Chamber Chorale invites singers to share their gifts
Are you a singer with a heart for the poor, a love for the sacred, and a devotion to your art? Consider sharing your gifts with Caritas Chamber Chorale for the 2025-2026 season. Join Caritas in our mission of serving the poorest of the poor through the art of sacred music.
Caritas Chamber Chorale, a 20+ voice a cappella choir, performs mostly short sacred motets, anthems, and spirituals, with repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to today. Working in separate sessions, the Chorale typically prepares two programs per concert season. Each program is presented three times in various beautiful sacred spaces throughout central New Jersey. Rehearsals are held in Martinsville or Far Hills on Friday evenings, with some Tuesdays for sectionals or other rehearsals. Singers volunteer their time; there is no remuner-
ation, neither is there tuition.
The Chorale performs for the benefit of the Adorno Fathers’ African Mission in Goma, DRC, and, through freewill donations at concerts, supports a nursery school, a primary school and an orphanage. Recent turmoil in Goma makes our support of these children even more vital.
If you enjoy the challenge of a cappella sacred music, value supporting those most in need, and bring vocal skill and choral experience with a desire to perform at your best, Caritas Chamber Chorale may be the perfect fit for you. Listen to us on YouTube and Spotify @ caritaschamberchorale.
For more information or to arrange an audition see www.caritaschamberchorale.org or contact director Barbara Sanderman at director@caritaschamberchorale.org.
Our presence is a welcomed gift for grandparents and the elderly
Several years ago, in light of the second annual World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, established by Pope Francis in 2021 and observed on the third Sunday of July, I was asked to write an article on the unique experience of senior grief. I interviewed a psychologist and family counselor who serves in a grief support program, and a number of parish bereavement and consolation coordinators.
Across the board, they identified loneliness as the most prevalent problem for the elderly and, interestingly, not only following the loss of a loved one. Older family members, neighbors, or friends are often hampered in their ability to get from place to place. Many no longer drive, and those who do are often much more fearful of driving than when they were younger.
In my family, I have one aunt left, my mother’s sister. She has lost all four of her siblings, her husband, a late-in-life male companion, most of the extended family of her generation, and a daughter – one of her five children. We recently lost my
—Janosch Lino/Unsplash
cousin, her niece, and my aunt was inconsolable at the wake. “I’m so tired of burying my family,” she cried. “I’ve lost so many, and I miss them so much.”
As their spouses, friends and children die, the elderly are left more and more alone and often cut off socially, unable to visit friends, join others for shopping or make it to Mass or parish programs. They become all the more aware of their own mortality. It can be frightening.
The psychologist shared what she considered to be the most important gift we can give our seniors – to “provide support in the form of a listening ear and
offer of ongoing social connection. Like anyone grieving, the elderly want to feel seen and heard.”
Bereavement ministries also mentioned the problem for many seniors of not being tech savvy. It often prevents them from staying on top of important responsibilities and programs, like banking, social security, Medicare, health insurance, or simply having the opportunity to connect with grandchildren in a way grandchildren respond to – like texting.
It is never too late to consider sharing our time and talent with the elders of our communities. Take a senior to lunch, provide that listening ear, or teach them to text or become familiar with a computer. Or, as I have learned from first-hand experience, let the kids do the tech teaching!
It doesn’t take much to help older members of our families, parishes, or neighborhoods realize they are seen and heard, and loved. A cup of tea, help around the house, a heat-and-eat meal or two, a box of their favorite treats, and an opportunity to share them with us.
It’s also a commandment to “honor your mother and father,” which would necessarily include grandparents and, hopefully, those of advancing years.
Pope Francis asked us to “Please, cherish the elderly!” It’s a beautiful lesson for us and our children.
This year, the Fifth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly will be
celebrated Sunday July 27, and has the theme, “Blessed are those who have not lost hope.” We can be part of the reason hope is still theirs:
Call them. A phone call is much more personal than a text and preferred by most seniors. For those who live alone, hearing another’s voice at the end of the line is a gift and helps them feel more at ease knowing someone is checking in with them. “I’ve fallen and can’t get up!” is not just a commercial.
Write them. There is something very special about receiving a letter in the mail. Seniors who are still capable are often happy to write back and share their stories. When a line of communication begins, it gives seniors something to look forward to and is often a bright spot in their day. Senior residential centers often have pen pal programs in place.
Be present. The value of being present to our elders is not in an elaborate plan but in the simple day-to-day activities they may be missing now because they are alone, or their physical or mental state has changed. At the heart of it all is a desire for company and the knowledge that someone cares about them.
Buy them a diary and encourage them to fill it. There is no greater gift than the memories, the stories and the wisdom of our elders. Give them the gift of sharing their treasures with those who will hold them close to their hearts.
graduating class of St. Joseph High School, Metuchen, in 1965. He explained his decision to pursue the priesthood in a matter-of-fact way.
“Both my parents served in World War II and were ready to lay down their life in service,” he said. “I didn’t want to spend my life preaching about business. I loved the Lord. I just substituted Church for country.”
Msgr. Cicerale earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in theology from St. Bonaventure University, Olean, N.Y.; a master’s degree in social work from Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., and a master of sacred theology degree in marriage and family counseling from the New York Theological Seminary, New York City. He is a N.J. licensed clinical social worker.
The future priest earned an associate’s degree from St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield, Conn., and completed his formation at Christ the King Seminary,
Guided By Grace: Celebrating the journey of priesthood
Msgr. Charles W. Cicerale
50 years
East Aurora, N.Y. “I believe in continuing education and that you never stop learning,” he explained.
He was ordained May 17, 1975, by Bishop George W. Ahr in the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, Trenton, and was installed with the honor of Chaplain to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI with the title of Monsignor on Jan. 29, 2012.
Msgr. Cicerale served as parochial vicar in the parishes of St. Ann, Lawrenceville; Immaculate Conception, Somerville, and St. Ambrose, Old Bridge. He served as administrator of St. Ann Parish, Raritan, for three months, and later at St. James Parish for more than six years, until he was installed there as pastor Jan. 4, 2009.
He was named the first director of the Metuchen diocesan Office of Vocations for a three-year term from 198184, and worked from 1984-89 in the formation of future clergy of the diocese and the nation at Theological College, Washington, D.C. Msgr. Cicerale was appointed the first Director of the Office of Ministry to Priests by Bishop Edward T. Hughes, a position he held for 12 years, from 1989-2002.
The priest assisted the ministry in East Jersey State Prison, Rahway, by offering the Sacraments to inmates. Sharing Communion, especially with the sick, is his greatest joy and a highlight of his ministry.
“That was my heart, I enjoyed that
“Communion is what happens between people, between us and God. That triangle works; that’s the trinity in action.”
the most. I spent time with people just doing what I loved, and listening between the lines,” he said. “Communion is what happens between people, between us and God. That triangle works; that’s the trinity in action.”
Msgr. Cicerale retired from his pastorate in St. James Parish in the fall of 2019 during COVID. In retirement he is assisting with Masses at St. Cecilia Parish, Monmouth Junction; Nativity of
Our Lord Parish, Monroe, and Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, South Plainfield. His advice to young men considering a similar path of faith is practical.
“It is clearly a personal decision, but I suggest that he date and work at an outside job from six months to a year,” Msgr. Cicerale said. “Ask any friends and family that know you well if they could imagine you as a priest.”
—By Christina Leslie, Contributing Editor
50th Anniversary Mass, St. Cecilia Parish, Monmouth Junction —Mark Lee photos
Msgr. Randall J. Vashon 25 years
“As a pastor of a parish, no two days are alike. Regardless of whatever I may have planned for the day, God seems to interject what He wants me to do, and I’m happiest when I listen to God’s promptings,”
For Msgr. Randall J. Vashon, being a good parish priest centers on a “ministry of presence” – both personally and through the sacraments of the Church.
“The priest is the servant of the community charged to bring them Christ by word, deed and presence,” he said. “It is important for us to be authentic in our personhood and loving in what we do – teach the truth always and with much love.”
Reflecting on the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, Msgr. Vashon shared some of the many highlights of his ministry – and his gratitude for his vocation.
“From a simple meal with parishioners to the solemnity of celebrating the
sacraments with them,” he said, “each experience of these things reminds me of how much I have been blessed by God and I am so incredibly grateful for everything God has done in my life.”
Msgr. Vashon was born in Waterville, Maine, to Simone A. and the late Clarence G. Vashon. He attended St. Francis de Sales Grade School, Waterville, and Waterville High School, and later earned an associate’s degree from the University of Maine, Augusta, and a bachelor’s degree from Holy Apostles College and Seminary, Cromwell, Conn. He completed his seminary training at Blessed John XXIII National Seminary, Weston, Mass., where he received a mas-
ter of divinity degree.
Msgr. Vashon was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Vincent De Paul Breen in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, on May 27, 2000. After his ordination, he served as parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, Bound Brook, and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Old Bridge. He later served as director of the St. John Vianney House of Discernment, Hopelawn, before being named administrator, and later pastor, of Immaculate Conception Parish, Annandale. He began his current assignment as pastor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Bridgewater, in 2017.
He was installed with the honor of Chaplain to His Holiness Pope Benedict
Father John C. Grimes 25 years
Father John C. Grimes, pastor of St. Ambrose Parish, Old Bridge, was born in 1959 in Jamaica, N.Y. as one of three children to John M. and Helen L. Grimes. He attended St. Lawrence Elementary School and Sayville High School in Sayville, N.Y., and Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y., where he earned a
Pope Leo, priests and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
bachelor of arts degree in English and philosophy. Father Grimes also holds a master’s degree in theology from Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.
Father Grimes was ordained May 27, 2000, by Bishop Vincent De Paul Breen in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen. Prior to his assignment to St.
XVI with the title of Monsignor on January 29, 2012.
A defining characteristic of Msgr. Vashon’s ministry has been his time spent as diocesan director of vocations, following his appointment by Bishop Paul Bootkoski in January 2005. He remained in that role until 2016.
“During this time, I was truly blessed to have been some part in the journey of so many men seeking to follow God’s will in their vocational discernment,” said Msgr. Vashon. “While every priest is, in some way, a vocation director helping to guide their parishioners in hearing and following God’s will in their lives, as the diocesan representative for vocations, I was uniquely blessed to help guide and walk that journey with so many.”
Now in his second term as pastor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Msgr. Vashon described his time there as “wonderful.”
“As a pastor of a parish, no two days are alike. Regardless of whatever I may have planned for the day, God seems to interject what He wants me to do, and I’m happiest when I listen to God’s promptings,” he said. “The parishioners, staff and clergy in the parish help me minister in this community and I am honored and humbled by their ministry with me.”
—By David Karas, Correspondent
Ambrose Parish, he served as parochial vicar of St. James Parish, Woodbridge; Our Lady of Victories Parish, Sayreville and the Cathedral parish.
Father John, known as Father Jack, is also known by his parish as a “dynamic homilist who lives his priesthood through his commitment to the Roman Catholic Church, his parish and his congregation. He has an ‘open-door’ policy in the parish office, as well as after Masses and always welcomes a good sense of humor.”
Father Jack also serves as diocesan director of the Apostolate of the Divine Mercy.
“Today … I invite you to renew before the Heart of Christ the ‘yes’ that you said to God and to his holy People on the day of your Ordination. Let yourselves be shaped by grace and guard the fire of the Spirit received on that day, so that, in union with him, you may be a sacrament of Jesus’ love in the world. Do not be daunted by your personal frailty: the Lord does not look for perfect priests, but for humble hearts that are open to conversion and prepared to love others as he himself loved us.
“Dear brother priests, Pope Francis called us to renewed devotion to the Sacred Heart as the locus of our personal encounter with the Lord (cf. Dilexit Nos, 103), the place where we can bring and resolve not only our inner conflicts but also those that are tearing apart the world in which we live. For in him, ‘we learn to relate to one another in wholesome and happy ways, and to build up in this world God’s kingdom of love and justice. Our hearts, united with the heart of Christ, are capable of working this social miracle’ (ibid. 28).”
POPE LEO XIV World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, June 27, 2025, Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In a 2010 interview marking the half-century anniversary of his Ordination to the priesthood, Father Louis F. Stingel recalled advice he received from his first pastor, Msgr. Bob Bulman.
“Be good to the elderly and the children and the people in between will judge you on that.”
That sage advice helped to guide Father Stingel’s own ministry prior to his retirement in 2009 and is advice he has passed along to new brother priests as well as those discerning a vocation.
Father Stingel was born in 1934 in Trenton to his late parents, Louis F. and Genevieve Stingel. He attended St. Charles Seminary, Catonsville, Md., and St. Mary Seminary, Baltimore, Md., earning a degree in Sacred Theology, and a licentiate in Sacred Theology; and a master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling
from Iona College, New Rochelle, N.Y.
He was ordained on June 11, 1960, by Bishop George W. Ahr, and his priesthood began some 22 years before the Diocese of Metuchen was formed. His assigned included service at St. Mary Parish, New Monmouth; St. Michael Parish, West End; St. Philip and St. James Parish, Phillipsburg, and Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton. He went on to serve as the longtime pastor of St. James the Less Parish, Jamesburg, from 1977 until he retired from active ministry on July 31, 2009.
During his active ministry, Father Stingel also served on the diocesan Finance Council and Pastoral Council, and worked with Catholic Charities, Family Services. Additionally, he served as Dean, and later Episcopal Vicar, for Middlesex County West.
Following his retirement, Father
Father Louis F. Stingel 65 years
Stingel has lived at Maria Regina Residence, Somerset. He has continued to serve faithful at St. Mary Parish, South Amboy, by assisting at weekend Masses and providing pastoral services.
Described by his brother priests as having a good nature and great sense of humor, Father Stingel has described some of the most fulfilling parts of his priesthood to have been building ministries and getting parishioners involved in their parish community.
—By David Karas, Correspondent
Spiritan Father
ISean A.
Broderick, CSSp 60 years
rish-born Spiritan Father Sean Broderick’s journey reads like a movie script. His uncle, a Spiritan Father, inspired him to join the missionary order. After earning bachelor’s degrees in geography and English, then four years of theology, he was ordained in Dublin July 4, 1965, and was assigned to Nigeria. Civil war broke out in 1966, and when the region of Biafra seceded in 1967, Nigeria imposed a blockade, which resulted in famine and the deaths of between one million and
three million people.
Father Broderick helped set up parish feeding centers for starving people. At one point, after relief planes unloaded food, the priest selected two of the worst medical cases and put them on the planes to be taken for treatment. His ministry took him to the front lines, where he gave general absolution to Biafran soldiers.
they did not know how to do. Eventually he and some 30 other religious were arrested and sentenced to prison, but released and deported after six weeks.
led to another 16 as dean of discipline, following which he took a year’s sabbatical. During that time he visited his friend, Father Liam Minogue, at Mary Mother of God Parish in Hillsborough.
He returned to Ireland to serve as the high school’s president for four years, after which he retired in 2003 and returned to Mary Mother of God. When Father Minogue died in 2007, then-Bishop Paul Bootkoski asked Father Broderick to be parish administrator, and he served for more than 12 years.
Father Broderick, who still lives at Mary Mother of God, said he revels in parish work.
Once captured, he was about to be executed but was saved by soldiers who needed his help to drive a vehicle, which
Father Jose Lorente, SJCP 60 years
Father Jose Lorente was born to Ana Medina and Jose Lorente Sr. and raised in Murcia, Spain during the aftermath of that country’s civil war in the late 1930’s. He has two sisters, Ana and Tomasa, who is deceased, and two brothers, Antonio and Manuel, a Catholic priest who died in 2022. Both priests served the Hispanic congregation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New Brunswick.
During World War II, his parents, strong Catholics, saw the great need of people in the community who were reduced to buying food with ration books, and so they turned their local store into a place where people could obtain donated necessities from the United States. Growing up with a strong work
Father Broderick wanted a new missionary assignment, but he was sent to an Irish high school for three years, which
ethic, Jose worked for a local bank first as a messenger and then as a telephone switchboard operator.
Spiritually, he supervised his parish’s youth group, Catholic Action. He was a daily communicant and he eventually felt the call of a priestly vocation. Entering the diocesan seminary of Murcia, he graduated with a degree in theology and was ordained to the priesthood September 25, 1965, in Murcia by Bishop Paul Barrachina, becoming a member of the Society of Jesus the Priest, founded by a priest from his diocese, Father Alfonso Gálvez.
“Before I was in the seminary and during my vacations,” Father Lorente said, “our youth group fomented the apostolate amongst the young people with retreats, short lessons on leading spiritual lives and sporting activities, presenting the youngsters with the figure of Jesus as the man-Christ – unique and worthy of being loved and being imitated.”
“The most rewarding thing was working with the people of Mary Mother of God,” he said. “It was a real joy. I suppose I get on well with people. I loved working in the parish.”
—By Robert Christie, Correspondent
Recalling his own spiritual journey, Father Lorente advises young men going through priestly discernment to meditate, read the Gospels, and follow a plan for their spiritual lives under the guidance of a good spiritual director. Personally, Father Lorente still also turns to the saints, including the Blessed Mother; St. Joseph; St. John Vianney, the patron saint of Catholic priests; St. Teresa of Avila, and the Archangel Michael.
Father Lorente, now retired, is foremost a parish priest, but he is also a teacher of philosophy, theology, and catechesis. He held various positions in Murcia before being assigned to a parish in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in 1984, for five years. In 1989 he came to the United States as associate pastor of St. Aloysius Parish, Newark. He then served as associate pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for three years until being installed as pastor on June 14, 1994.
—By Robert Christie, Correspondent
Father Zenon A. Bochnak
40 years
From celebrating Masses in parish communities to visiting soldiers on battlefields in the Middle East, Father Zenon Bochnak’s priesthood brought him to all corners of the globe. But while his surroundings were ever-changing, he was always sure of his vocation.
“I never wavered in my knowledge that God called me to be a priest,” he said.
Father Bochnak was born and raised in Poland and knew from a young age that he wanted to be a missionary priest. He joined a religious order that had missions in Africa, and was studying in West Ger-
many in the early 1980s when his home country was placed under martial law.
“I was basically trapped outside of Poland,” he said. “I couldn’t go back.”
In the 40 years since his ordination to the priesthood, Father Chester H. Carina has spent time serving a dozen parish communities. And while he has a fondness for each of them, he considers his post of now-22 years – Most Holy
Msgr. John B. Gordon, summarizing the lessons learned during the course of his four decades of service, stated, “I have enjoyed the growing as a person through personal formation, continuing education and mission experience. There is always the strength of grace and the Good News which are going to provide.”
Born in Plainfield, he grew up in Somerville where he attended Immaculate Conception School and continued his studies at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. Involvement in the Knights of Columbus and Msgr. Richard Behl’s invitation to a vocation discernment weekend nurtured the already deep faith that ran through his family. “My parents’ devotion to the Mass and sacraments and extended family faith were always a constant in knowing my spiritual life,” he stated.
Msgr. Gordon was ordained to the priesthood May 18, 1985. Terms as parochial vicar in St. Bartholomew, East
It was during a visit to see family in the United States that Father Bochnak was connected with clergy from the Diocese of Metuchen. The priests encouraged him to stay in the U.S., and before long he was taking classes to learn English before entering Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg, Md., for his seminary studies.
Father Bochnak was ordained May 18, 1985, by Bishop Theodore E. McCarrick in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi Metuchen, and soon began his first assignment at St. Matthew Parish, Edison. He would go on to serve in St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish, Kendall Park; Sacred Heart Parish, Warren; and as a missionary priest in the Diocese of Pueblo, Colorado.
Father Bochnak perhaps found his true calling when he began his service as a chaplain in the military. His service would bring him to places abroad like Okinawa and South Korea, and domestic bases in North Carolina, Montana, Pittsburgh,
Father Chester H. Carina 40 years
Redeemer, Matawan – to be home.
“Most Holy Redeemer has become home for me. Even though I have served in so many wonderful parishes over the years, somehow serving for 22 years in the same place has allowed me to enter into so many lives in a way I wasn’t able to in my previous assignments,” he said.
“You become part of people’s lives in a different way because you find yourself marrying the children to whom you gave their first Holy Communion twenty years ago, or maybe you’re baptizing the child of a kid who was in the youth group back when they were in high school. It just
Brunswick; Guardian Angels, Edison; St. Magdalene de Pazzi, Flemington; and St. Mary, Perth Amboy, were followed by service as temporary administrator in Our Lady of Victories Parish, Baptistown. He also served as chaplain of three Catholic high schools in the Diocese.
Msgr. Gordon began a total of 25 years in Hispanic ministry in Perth Amboy, including terms in the city’s St. Mary, Holy Trinity, La Asuncion and Our Lady of Hungary parishes and schools. He served as a missionary priest from 1996 to 1999 in Ecuador with the Society of St. James the Apostle, and, eventually, director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Metuchen from 2004 to 2009. He was installed with the honor of Chaplain to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI with the title of Monsignor on Jan. 29, 2012.
Msgr. Gordon arrived at St. Joseph Parish, Carteret, Sept. 1, 2020, and currently serves the bilingual community as its pastor. Reflecting upon his four
New Jersey, Dover, Colorado and Texas –the latter of which involved traveling the country and recruiting new chaplains.
He was also deployed to the Middle East and was the first Catholic Air Force chaplain to arrive in Baghdad. He was the only priest for a large portion of Afghanistan and traveled frequently; he recalls one Christmas, when he celebrated Mass eight times on Christmas Eve, and eight times on Christmas Day.
He was later deployed to Iraq for a second time and was the last Catholic chaplain to leave the country in 2012. When he retired as a priest, he also concluded his military service at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
“In the military, finally, my restlessness went away. I found my niche, I found my right ministry (through which) all of my gifts were utilized,” he said. “I am so grateful to God that I was able to do what I was able to do.”
—By David Karas, Correspondent
adds to the joy of ministry.”
Father Carina was born in 1957 in New Brunswick, as one of three children of Chester H. and Helen Minerd Carina. He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master of divinity degree from St. Meinrad College, St. Meinrad, Ind., and later returned to his studies, earning a licentiate degree in canon law from St. Paul University, Ottawa, Canada.
Father Carina was ordained by Bishop Theodore E. McCarrick May 18, 1985, in St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral. His assignments have included serving as parochial vicar in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen; St. Matthias Parish, Somerset; Our Lady of Victories Parish, Sayreville; Mary, Mother of God Parish, Hillsborough; Immaculate Conception Parish, Spotswood; St. Cecelia Parish, Iselin; and St. Joseph Parish, North Plainfield. He has served as administrator in St. Joseph Parish, High Bridge;
Msgr. John B. Gordon 40 years
decades of ministry, he advises fellow clergy to focus on faith over numbers.
“At present, the parish together with our proud school family is a great joy, sharing with such caring families, dedicated staff and amazing children,” he said. “[One] must not overlook the deep faith and trust that brings each person to pray and not be discouraged about statistics foretelling a bleak future or the constant juggling involved with parish administration.”
Msgr. Gordon’s advice to a young man considering a similar walk of faith is “to know that it is an exceptional calling and will constantly bring you to new and fulfilling moments in service through the strength of the Holy Spirit… He need not
Our Lady of Hungary Parish, Perth Amboy; and St. James Parish, Woodbridge. Prior to his current pastoral assignment, he served as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Bernardsville.
Throughout his ministry, Father Carina – who wanted to be a priest since the age of ten – has seen his ministry evolve from the core, sacred duties and responsibilities, to serving and being there for God’s people.
“I have come to see myself as a spiritual conduit for the people,” he said, noting the importance of a priest’s role for faithful. “Their trust in me is sacred, whether I am hearing confessions or speaking with someone in the privacy of my office. I may not be a professional counselor, but I am so grateful to God I can help someone see the light of Christ in their lives when initially they were facing so much darkness.”
—By David Karas, Correspondent
fear making a call to the parish rectory to share with his pastor/priest or to the vocation director of our diocese. It will bring a promise of peace and reassurance to answer the possibility that God has placed in his heart.”
—By Christina Leslie, Contributing Editor
Father Lancelot McGrath
40 years
Father Lancelot McGrath, parochial vicar in St. Matthias Parish, Somerset, was born in 1955 in Limerick, Ireland, to Margaret and the late Lancelot McGrath. He is one of six children, four boys and two girls, three of whom followed Church vocations — Father McGrath; Holy Family of Bordeaux Sister Claire, his eldest sister, and his brother Seamus, who was
a Christian Brother. He considers that devout Irish Catholic family as his first and most important influence on his call to the priesthood, with the preaching of the Irish missionaries who would come home from
priest, he has discovered priesthood “is not a professional job, it is a life.”
Father Leonard F. Rusay studied theater and English education as an undergrad at Trenton State College. In the mid-1970s, when he graduated from the school known now as The College of New Jersey, both teaching and theater jobs were scarce. He worked for a bus company and later a bank before deciding to enter the seminary.
His ordination, May 18, 1985, followed earning a Master of Divinity degree from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore. He was 31.
Father Rusay said the secular grounding served him immensely.
“I’ll tell you, I think that’s what helped me to do what I did in my years of active ministry,” said Father Rusay, who retired last summer after more than 20 years as pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Whitehouse Station. “It really gave me a sense of what it’s like from both sides of the altar rail.”
Father Rusay, 71, who lives in Somerville, said working with people on their spiritual journey has been the most
mission countries and address students a close second. “We witnessed heroes for Christ. They were doing awesome things for Christ,” he said.
Father McGrath attended St. Patrick Elementary School and Christian Brothers High School, both in Limerick. He entered the novitiate for the Legion of Christ in Dublin and Cheshire, Ct. for two years, followed by studies in humanities in Salamanca, Spain. He also earned master’s degrees in philosophy and theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome.
Father McGrath was ordained Dec. 24, 1985 in the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Rome, by Cardinal Eduardo M. Somalo. He worked in youth ministry, chaplaincy, formation and candidacy as a member of the order. Upon leaving that order, he continued his studies towards
Father Raymond L. Nacarino
40 years
Being a priest means “a life dedicated to the Lord and to His people. It is truly a blessed life,” he said.
“As you celebrate Mass and preach, hear confessions, and visit the sick, you see the good effect of what you do and say in the people when you least expect it.”
Father Nacarino said that, as a student, he had good math teachers, and he excelled in the subject. He studied mathematics at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, and at the Universidad Com-
rewarding part of his vocation.
He tried to make church members and nonmembers feel welcome wherever he was stationed. He recalled attending a stewardship conference in which presenters stressed being open and friendly to both longtime members and visitors.
“That’s what brings them and makes them feel like, ‘Hey, maybe this is where I’m supposed to be,’” Father Rusay said.
Most challenging part of the priesthood, Father Rusay said, was hearing “the negativity” about past priests’ sins and that the church is “only a money-making scheme.”
“They don’t think about the real aspects of what a priest does,” Father Rusay said of congregants. “The 99% of priests that are out there are very giving. They’re more concerned about the spiritual life of the parishioner.”
Father Rusay credits several people for his vocation. They include his maternal grandmother, the late Katherine Rzuczek, whose example of faith strengthened him, and Father Alphonse
a master’s degree at the John Paul II Institute for Family Studies, a part of the Lateran Institute in Rome.
He served as associate pastor in St. Bartholomew Parish in Washington, D.C. and as a chaplain at George Washington University, where he worked at the campus Catholic Center. Father McGrath came to the Metuchen Diocese in 2005 as chaplain at the Catholic Center at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. He assisted at Mary, Mother of God Parish, Hillsborough, and continued service as parochial vicar after Msgr. Liam Minogue died.
Father McGrath also served in the parishes of Nativity of Our Lord, Monroe; Our Lady of Mount Virgin, Middlesex, and St. Luke, North Plainfield. He retired from active ministry this summer.
—By Christina Leslie, Contributing Editor
plutense in Madrid, Spain.
“In college, I was interested in geometry and topology,” he said. “It made me wonder about some of the results I learned.”
But he also was interested in the priesthood. At age 14 he met Father Alfonso Gálvez, founder of the Society of Jesus Christ the Priest, a religious nonprofit dedicated to fostering vocations. He said he was very influenced by the spirituality of Father Galvez, who died in 2022.
“He directed me into the priestly life,” Father Nacarino said, and he introduced him to Sts. John Vianney, Francis of Assisi, Bernard of Clairvaux, Teresa of Avila, and John of the Cross. “They were the ones I read, either their biographies or their own works.”
Father Nacarino studied theology in Burgos and Navarro, Spain, and was ordained Dec. 21, 1985, in Murcia, Spain
“I was interested in Christology, to
Father
Leonard F. Rusay
40 years
Stevenson, who was vocation director in the Trenton Diocese, from which the Metuchen Diocese was created in 1981.
Father Rusay served in several diocesan parishes, including more than six years as pastor in St. Joseph Parish in High Bridge. He was appointed in 2003 the 10th pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Whitehouse Station, where he was stationed until his retirement last year. He also served as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Lourdes and Sts. Philip and James, as well as St. Cecelia in Iselin and St. James the Less in Jamesburg.
In retirement, Father Rusay serves weekends or whenever else he’s needed at St. Frances Cabrini Parish in Piscataway. He also stays active, in part, by continuing to keep his hand in the theater,
understand the complexity of Jesus, true God and true man, and also because of the controversy that it generated over the centuries,” he said.
He said he has particular interest in St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, and, in modern times, Hans Urs von Balthasar, as well as Étienne Gilson, “because of their desire to express and teach the faith in a solid and clear way.”
Father Nacarino has served in diverse parishes such as St. Paul Parish, Jersey City; St. Mary Parish, Plainfield; and at Our Lady of the Dawn in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
He also has served at Sacred Heart Parish, South Plainfield; as rector of Blessed Sacrament Shrine, Raritan; administrator of Jesus the Lord Parish, Keyport, and pastor, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, New Brunswick.
—By Robert Christie, Correspondent
working part time taking phone orders for tickets at an area playhouse. He said he appreciates remarks by colleagues and others about his understanding and patience dealing with customers
“It gives me something else to do to keep me active,” he said. “Because I am not actively ministering, I am ministering [secularly] in many ways.”
—By Anthony Salamone, Correspondent
Father
Edward J. Struzik 40 years
Father Edward J. Struzik grew up in Massachusetts, earned college degrees from schools in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, taught students in junior and senior high schools for 13 years, and even considered getting married.
The 80-year-old retired priest said life was good during those years. Still, he felt a calling to serve God and the Catholic community. Despite not being selected as a priesthood candidate in Rhode Island, he persisted through rejection and subsequent years with health issues.
Father Struzik was ordained May 18, 1985, in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, at the age of 40, and served four parishes, including as pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Old Bridge/Matawan, his last stop before retiring around 2003.
Father Struzik now lives at Maria Regina Residence for retired priests in Somer-
set. He has struggled with a brain disorder; about two decades ago, he was given only several more years to live. The diagnosis was changed, though he still deals with a somewhat similar brain condition.
“Now the disease doesn’t allow me to be as active as I would like to be,” Father Struzik said via email. “In addition to the neurological detriments and my profound deafness, I can’t be that priest that I would like to be.”
Father Struzik answered submitted questions to mark the 40th anniversary of his ordination. His responses are edited for clarity and space.
The Catholic Spirit: How did you wind up in the Metuchen Diocese, since you grew up in New England?
Father Struzik: I was not considered a candidate for priesthood in Rhode Island at the time. The vocations office had a policy that anyone who had experienced the pre-Vatican II era might be too influenced by those times and practices. I felt badly about this and had indicated – being in education and with college degrees – that I would be accepting of the new Vatican II Church. But I was rejected.
Polish priest friends suggested going to Ss. Cyril & Methodius Seminary (Orchard Lake, Michigan) which trained Polish and Polish-American men to become priests; being Polish gave me the opportunity to enter. Because there were seminarians from Metuchen there, I was urged to consider this Diocese as my “home.”
Q: What has been your most rewarding part of being a priest?
A: Offering Masses in all types of intentions gave me the opportunity to reach out to people. Being part of the
sacramental growth of young people receiving their Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation, etc., I hopefully was a part that gave them knowledge of God in their lives. Caring for the sick in hospital and home visits, and Confession and Anointing of the Sick hopefully allowed me to give people the comfort of God’s grace and blessings.
Q: What was the hardest part about being a priest?
A: Challenges were difficult at times, but the expertise of lay people, who made up various parish committees, helped greatly in dealing with concerns and coming up with resolutions. Challenges certainly bring out the humanness in a priest. He doesn’t have all the answers, but a lot of grit and work can help address the questions and concerns.
Q: What advice would you give someone who might be considering religious life?
A: Always put trust in God’s call. Allow it to develop through prayer and research. Never feel incapable or unworthy of being a priest. It takes study and discernment, but if true to God’s design, a vocation and priesthood is a reality.
—By Anthony Salamone, Correspondent
Catholic Spirit garners six Catholic Media Awards at Phoenix conference
The Catholic Spirit was recognized June 27 during the Catholic Media Conference 2025 with six Catholic Media Awards, honoring outstanding achievements in Catholic journalism, communications and other forms of media. The awards uphold high standards of integrity and faith-centered storytelling, encouraging media professionals to inform, inspire, and engage the public through authentic portrayals of Catholic teachings and values. By honoring outstanding work, the awards aim to foster a culture of ethical journalism that serves the Church and its mission to spread truth and hope.
of Metuchen, Launches Mental Health Navigator - Tiffany Workman
3. Best Photograph – Catholic Education First Place Lessons for Life - Stephanie Monteleone
Our Pilgrimage to the National Eucharistic CongressDesign, Peter Nguyen; Photos, Gerald Wutkowski, Jr.
5. Best Layout of Article or Column – Diocesan Honorable Mention Lent and Love; Embracing life’s journey through love, sacrifice and God’s Grace - Peter Nguyen, Design; Mary Morrell, Article
4. Best Multiple Picture Package - Feature Second Place
6. Most Effective Use of Small Space Third Place
Your Story - Mary Morrell, Peter Nguyen
I n M e M or I a M
Fifth Anniversary of the tragic death of
Daniel Mark Anderl
Lord Jesus Christ, You said there’s no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend.
We are mindful that on July 19, 2020, Daniel Mark Anderl was murdered, and did just that. He offered his life for his mother and father. Let the Gospel of the Cross teach us that the spirit of sacrifice gives strength in weakness, joy in doing good, and, in all difficulties of life, perseverance.
“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
– ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Mark Anderl Judge Esther Salas
Bobby Beaton Parishioner of St. Augustine Parish
By David Karas, Correspondent
“Laughter in the hallways, hands-on projects, and joyful learning.” These are the hallmarks of daily life at Immaculate Conception School, said Principal Katie Parsells.
“Immaculate Conception offers a beautiful balance of tradition and innovation,” said Parsells, who is also a graduate of the school. She noted that faith is at the center of a very close-knit community. “Our school is deeply rooted in Catholic values, while also preparing students to thrive in a modern world. We offer strong academics, a nurturing environment, vibrant faith formation, and a supportive community where every child is known and loved.
“We prioritize developmentally appropriate instruction, small-group learning, and differentiated approaches to meet every child where they are. Faith is woven throughout the day – from classroom discussions to school-wide initiatives and our regular Mass celebrations.”
Students begin each day with prayer and announcements before hitting the books to explore core subjects as well as specials, like music, computer, library, civics, art, gym, Spanish and STREAM. Teachers work to identify and meet the needs of each student, while fostering a strong sense of community.
“They know they are part of a close-knit, faith-filled community where they can learn, explore, and grow,” said Parsells. “Whether it’s preparing for the school concert, diving into a project, or playing at recess with friends, each day offers something meaningful and joyful.”
As fall approaches, the ICS team is working to expand its athletic programming to offer additional sports and plans to introduce the school’s first musical along with other extracurricular additions. They have also been building on their STREAM integration across grade levels.
Eileen Bowers, a parent and former member of the school’s HSA, noted the energy that fills the halls.
“The school is alive,” she said. “ICS encourages a strong sense of belonging. The school community comes togeth er in faith and socially at many events throughout the year, encouraging stew ardship and friendship.”
Kristy Wilson’s son is preparing to enter the first grade in the fall. When she toured the school, she quickly saw that Immaculate Conception is a special place.
“When I entered the building, I immediately knew it was a school that embodied a school spirit, a warm sense of community, and traditional faith-based values,” she said. “I was sure this would be the place where my son would thrive on his academic journey.”
Somerville school offers ‘community where every child is known and loved’
of his teacher and the program there.
“Immaculate Conception School is firmly guided by its religious and academic purpose. We partner with parents in our journey of faith. Integration of the spiritual and academic dimensions is essential to the education of the whole child. Our goal is to instill a sense of individual responsibility, to build self-confidence, to encourage compassionate service to our neighbor, and to teach decision-making skills in all of the traditional academic disciplines.”
Katie Parsells, Principal
“The program is enriching and nurturing, the classrooms are well structured and organized, and the teachers set a very positive tone to help each child reach their full potential,” she said. “My husband and I feel truly blessed that we are able to send our child to a school that offers him these emotional supports, while also having opportunities for academic success that is individualized for him by such a supporting staff.”
Another parent, Ally Recchia, is the mother of a rising Kindergartener, Nicholas, and rising third grader, Reese.
“The community at ICS is supportive, radiant, and inviting,” she said. “Our daughter started at ICS three years ago and, in those three years, she has built strong friendships,” as have Recchia and her husband. “Being a smaller school, and because everyone shares the same Catholic values, there is more opportunity to socialize as families.”
Recchia spoke highly of the opportunities and experiences that her daughter, Reese, has had – including participating in three talent shows, the basketball club and a school Girl Scout troop, with plans to join the cheerleading team over the summer.
For Reese, it is exciting to come to school each day to see her friends and teachers, and to have fun while learning.
“The teachers are my favorite thing about Immaculate Conception School,” she said. “I’ve had three teachers at ICS and each one was kind, fun, nice and made school a place I love.”
ICS offers
Wilson raved about her son’s Kindergarten experience, and the dedication
One of the school’s third-grade teachers, Danielle Mann, is also a parent of two ICS students herself – including rising second-grader Owen and rising Kindergartener Vada. Mann and her husband first toured the school for their son after he was struggling academically at his previous school.
“We knew that he needed to be in a strong school with an even stronger support staff and highly qualified teachers,” she said. “All of his teachers supported him, helped close his academic gap and gave him the confidence that he needed.”
She added that the school connected her with additional resources and helped them reach a Dyslexia diagnosis – and today, their son is testing above grade level on standardized tests.
“Parents should consider ICS for their children because ICS educates the whole child, meaning academically, spiritually, morally and socially,” said Mann. “The teachers understand that all students are individuals, with different needs and the teachers differentiate their teaching for all children. My children are happy to go to school each and every day, (and) they know that they are loved.”
well as with their teachers and peers. —Facebook courtesy photos
To learn more, visit www.icsschool. org.
students the opportunity to enrich their academic education through participation in a variety of school sponsored clubs and activities, including athletics, band, performing arts, art club, chess team, newspaper, among others. ICS also hosts annual events and Masses that strengthen students’ relationship with Christ and the Church as
WORLD & NATION
Pope Leo XIV presents the pallium to Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington during Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican June 29, 2025, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. The pallium, which symbolizes an archbishop’s authority and unity with the pope, is given to metropolitan archbishops. —CNS photo/Lola Gomez
Archbishops must promote unity, seek new ways to share Gospel, Pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Archbishops around the world can provide by their example the fraternity and unity in diversity the entire Catholic Church needs today, Pope Leo XIV said. “The whole Church needs fraternity, which must be present in all of our relationships, whether between lay people and priests, priests and bishops, bishops and the Pope,” he said during his homily at Mass on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul June 29. “Fraternity is also needed in pastoral care, ecumenical dialogue and the friendly relations that the Church desires to maintain with the world,” the Pope said. “Let us make an effort, then, to turn our differences into a workshop of unity and communion, of fraternity and reconciliation, so that everyone in the Church, each with his or her personal history, may learn to walk side by side,” he said. The feast day cel-
ebration in St. Peter’s Basilica included the traditional blessing of the pallium, the woolen band that the heads of archdioceses wear around their shoulders over their Mass vestments and symbolizes an archbishop’s unity with the pope and his authority and responsibility to care for the flock the pope entrusted to him. “Our patron saints followed different paths, had different ideas and at times argued with one another with evangelical frankness. Yet this did not prevent them from living the concordia apostolorum, that is, a living communion in the Spirit, a fruitful harmony in diversity,” he said. “It is important that we learn to experience communion in this way – as unity within diversity – so that the various gifts, united in the one confession of faith, may advance the preaching of the Gospel,” Pope Leo said.
Shrine celebrates 350 years since Jesus showed his heart to French nun as symbol of love
PARIS (OSV News) – The French Shrine of Paray-le-Monial – in the historic region of Burgundy, southeast of Paris – wrapped up celebrations June 26 to 29 marking the 350th anniversary of the Sacred Heart apparitions to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. The jubilee year, which began last December, has drawn a surge of pilgrims to the shrine, where Jesus appeared to the Visitation nun in the 1670s, revealing his heart as a sign of divine love and sacrifice. Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo of Ajaccio served as papal envoy for the closing events. It was through these apparitions that Jesus requested a feast in honor of his Sacred Heart – a devotion later recognized by the Church and made universal in 1856 by Pope Pius IX. Father Etienne Kern, rector of the shrine, noted that while the devotion predates the apparitions, Paray-le-Monial gave it powerful momentum. Today, the sanctuary remains a major destination for pilgrims drawn to the message of Christ’s enduring love for humanity. Today, the Sanctuary of Paray-le-Monial is a renowned place of pilgrimage. It has gained notoriety since 1986, when its promotion as a site for apostolic activities was entrusted to the lay-led Emmanuel Community, founded in 1972. Compiled
Actors dressed in historic clothes and pilgrims stand in front of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Paray-le-Monial June 26, 2025, as the French sanctuary southeast of Paris concluded celebrations of the 350th anniversary of the apparitions of Jesus showing his heart to a French Visitation religious sister, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. —OSV News photo/courtesy Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Paray-le-Monial
‘Revival Worship’ brings the fire of the National Eucharistic Congress into playlists
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Catholic faithful can now live – or relive – some of the experience of the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress with the release of live music recordings from the five-day gathering’s revival sessions. The online album called “Revival Worship” featuring mostly covers of contemporary praise music went live for download on the feast of Corpus Christi, June 22. “Revival Worship” was produced by Dave Moore. The album captures the opening night of the congress when the clear, soprano voice of his wife, Lauren Moore, pierced the silence and started a duet with the
OSV News the mostawarded Catholic newswire in 2025
PHOENIX (OSV News) – With 22 awards from the Catholic Media Association, OSV News became the most-awarded Catholic newswire in 2025, with judges appreciating a vast range of content provided in 2024 by OSV News – from videos and photos to news series, and from national to international and Spanish content.
“I am very proud of the good work that OSV News has done in service to the church over the past two and a half years,” said Gretchen R. Crowe, editor in chief of OSV News.
“The OSV News team has a passion both for excellence and for keeping people informed about what’s happening in the Church and the world and why it matters,” she added.
OSV News launched Dec. 31, 2022, as a Catholic news and information service from OSV, a Catholic publishing company headquartered in Huntington, Indiana, and founded in 1912 by Father John Francis Noll to serve the Church’s mission by providing professional Catho-
smooth-voiced Nico Cabrera, who sang in Spanish Hillsong Worship’s “What a Beautiful Name” inside Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. While they sang, tens of thousands remained kneeling before the spotlighted Blessed Sacrament, encased in its shimmering gold sunburst of a monstrance, flanked by two candles on either side, at the center of the stadium floor. The album features several songs from the congress, which drew about 60,000 faithful to America’s heartland July 17-21, 2024. Dave Moore, 36, the NEC’s music director, told OSV News the experience was a treasure and “one of the greatest highlights of” his life.
Pilgrims sing along with Catholic musician Matt Maher during the July 20, 2024, revival night of the July 17-21 National Eucharistic Congress at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. —OSV News photo/Bob Roller
lic news and evangelizing content amid a hostile political and social environment.
As a partner in evangelization, OSV News allows dioceses and other organizations to connect and boost engagement with the faithful through the sharing of timely, trustworthy and accurate news and features stories and commentary that communicate the truth of what is happening in the Catholic Church and around the world.
Metropolitan Archbishop A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia inspects a residential building Sept. 8, 2024, that was destroyed by Russian glide bombs in Kharkiv, Ukraine. OSV News was awarded first place for Best News Video for Diocesan and National News Organization with a video by Gina Christian, “Archbishop Gudziak Tours Destruction in Ukraine. —OSV News photo/Gina Christian
Pope sets Sept. 7 for joint canonization of Blesseds Acutis and Frassati
By Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Pope Leo XIV will canonize Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati together Sept. 7, the Vatican announced. Meeting with cardinals living in and visiting Rome for an ordinary public consistory June 13, the Pope approved the new canonization date for the two young blesseds and set Oct. 19 as the date for the canonization of
seven others. He announced the dates in Latin. The canonization of Blessed Acutis, a teenager known for his devotion to the Eucharist and creating an online exhibition of Eucharistic miracles, had originally been scheduled for April 27 during the Jubilee of Teenagers. It was postponed following the death of Pope Francis April 21. Born in 1991 and raised in Milan, Blessed Acutis used his tech skills to evangelize and was noted for his
a prominent family in Turin, Italy, was admired for his deep spirituality, love for the poor and enthusiasm for life. A member of the Dominican Third Order, he served the sick through the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He died at age 24 after contracting polio, possibly from one of the people he assisted.
Above left, pilgrims visit the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis in the Church of St. Mary Major in Assisi, Italy, April 1, 2025. —CNS photo/Justin McLellan
Above right, images of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati appear beside and on his tomb at St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Turin, Italy, in this file photo from February 2006. —CNS file photo/Carol Glatz
Catholics must respond to environmental injustice with prayer, concrete action, Pope says
By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Ravaging the earth and creating environmental injustices are not what God had in mind when he entrusted creation to humanity, Pope Leo XIV said.
In fact, following Pope Francis’ teachings on integral ecology must be accepted as “the right path to follow,” the Pope said in his message for the 2025 World Day of Prayer for Creation.
“Nature itself is reduced at times to a bargaining chip, a commodity to be bartered for economic or political gain. As a result, God’s creation turns into a battleground for the control of vital resources,” Pope Leo wrote.
“Agricultural areas and forests peppered with landmines, ‘scorched earth’ policies, conflicts over water sources, and the unequal distribution of raw materials, which penalizes the poorer nations and undermines social stability itself,” are among the many wounds inflicted against creation and “are the effect of sin,” he wrote.
“This is surely not what God had in mind when he entrusted the earth to the men and women whom he created in his image,” he wrote in his message, which was released by the Vatican July 2.
The World Day of Prayer for Creation, which will be celebrated Sept. 1, marks the start of the ecumenical Season of Creation. The season concludes Oct. 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi,
Chad Pregracke who established Living Lands & Waters, an environmental organization, in 1998, is pictured in an undated photo collecting garbage along the Ohio River. He was named the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award winner for 2024.
—OSV News photo/courtesy Chad Pregracke
patron saint of ecology.
The theme for 2025, “Seeds of Peace and Hope,” had been chosen by Pope Francis to be in harmony with the Holy Year dedicated to “Pilgrims of Hope.” The 2025 message also coincides with the late pope’s 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” from which Pope Leo’s message cited extensively.
“In Christ, we too are seeds, and indeed, ‘seeds of peace and hope,’” Pope Leo wrote.
Just as the Holy Spirit “can make an arid and parched desert into a garden, a place of rest and serenity,” he wrote, “prayer, determination and concrete ac-
tions are necessary if this ‘caress of God’ is to become visible to our world.”
In different parts of the world, “our earth is being ravaged,” Pope Leo wrote. “On all sides, injustice, violations of international law and the rights of peoples, grave inequalities and the greed that fuels them are spawning deforestation, pollution and the loss of biodiversity.”
“Extreme natural phenomena caused by climate changes provoked by human activity are growing in intensity and frequency, to say nothing of the medium and long-term effects of the human and ecological devastation being wrought by armed conflicts,” he wrote.
The destruction of nature does not affect everyone in the same way, he wrote. “When justice and peace are trampled underfoot, those who are most hurt are the poor, the marginalized and the excluded. The suffering of Indigenous communities is emblematic in this regard.”
“The Bible provides no justification for us to exercise ‘tyranny over creation,’” the Pope wrote. On the contrary, the biblical texts imply “a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature.”
Environmental justice, he wrote, “can no longer be regarded as an abstract concept or a distant goal” and it involves “much more than simply protecting the environment.”
“It is a matter of justice – social, economic and human,” he wrote. “For believers, it is also a duty born of faith, since the universe reflects the face of Jesus Christ, in whom all things were created and redeemed.”
“In a world where the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters are the first to suffer the devastating effects of climate change, deforestation and pollution, care for creation becomes an expression of our faith and humanity,” Pope Leo wrote.
“Now is the time to follow words with deeds,” he wrote.
Pope Francis’ encyclical, “’Laudato Si’,’ has now guided the Catholic Church and many people of goodwill for 10 years. May it continue to inspire us and may integral ecology be increasingly accepted as the right path to follow,” he wrote.
The way of the Father is revealed in prayer
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Year (C)
In this Sunday’s Gospel, St. Luke presents Jesus speaking to his disciples about prayer. For the past few weeks our Gospel readings have focused on the marks of a good disciple – love and service of God and neighbor as well as devotion to Jesus – and now Jesus adds the necessity of prayer as another such characteristic.
The beginning of this text offers Jesus’ answer to the request, “Lord, teach us how to pray as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). In response, Jesus teaches the most basic Christian prayer, the Our Father, to his followers. Even the beginning of the prayer, “Father,” says a great deal about our relationship with God. Never before had people dared to pray to God with such intimacy. As Jesus’ disciples we pray to God who is not some distant, unconcerned potentate, but rather to a God who has adopted each of us as his beloved child. All of our prayer and, in fact, all of our lives are forever colored by our inclusion in the loving embrace of the Father and the Son.
“Hallowed be your name” (Luke 11:2b) expresses our humble desire that God’s name be revered throughout the whole of creation. God’s holiness is expressed primarily through his work in the created order. Each act of creative majesty, every mighty intervention into human history, every deed of love done by his disciples further manifests that infinite holiness which is God’s alone. This prayer is at once an act of worship as well as a promise on our part to live in such a way as to more fully demonstrate God’s glory. St. Peter Chrysologus wrote, “We ask God to hallow his name, which by its own holiness saves and makes holy all creation … God’s name is blessed when we live well …” (Sermon 71,4).
Jesus next teaches us to pray, “your kingdom come” (Luke 11:2c). The Kingdom of God refers to God’s dynamic Lordship over all. The Kingdom will be fully complete in the heavenly recapitulation of all creation at the end of time. St. Paul tells us that the Kingdom is “justice, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Ro-
mans 14:17). Inaugurated into this world by Jesus, the Kingdom of God is further expanded through the work of the Church. Our prayer for the coming of the Kingdom involves petitioning God to let his divine will be fully expressed throughout the earth, while at the same time recognizing that we are the instruments of that expression; our task as the daughters and sons of God is to strive mightily to make real here in this world all that we hope for in the blessedness of heaven.
The next prayer is that God “give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3). This petition is itself an act of faith in the God upon whom we depend to care for us daily. We acknowledge God as the Source of all that we have and are, and ask for his continuing good favor. Our daily bread refers to everything we need to live– both the nourishment for this life (food, shelter, etc.) as well as the nourishment needed for eternal life (Jesus, the Bread of Life). This prayer reaches its highest fulfillment in this life when we draw close to our Lord Jesus present in the Eucharist.
We next ask God to “forgive us our sins for we too forgive all who do us wrong” (Luke 11:4a-b). In this truly remarkable petition, we ask God’s mercy for all our failings and offences. We realize, however, that this mercy cannot come into hearts which are closed by the refusal to similarly reach out in forgiveness; and so we make our own ability to forgive a condition of even asking for God’s mercy.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Forgiveness is a high point of Christian prayer; only hearts attuned to God’s compassion can receive the gift of prayer. Forgiveness also bears witness that, in our world, love is stronger than sin” (par. 2844).
Finally, we pray that God “subject us not to the trial” (Luke 11:4c), that is, that God always give us the ability to resist whatever temptations we may face and protect us from the entrapments of the Evil One. [For a wonderful commentary on the beauty and importance of the Our Father, please see paragraphs 2759 through 2865 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which is available on the web sites of both the Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.]
Jesus then tells two stories further clarifying the importance of prayer. In the first parable, the Story of the Persistent Friend, he emphasizes the need for tenacity in prayer. Jesus assures his followers
SCRIPTURE SEARCH®
Gospel for July 27, 2025 Luke 11:1-13
Following is a word search based on the Gospel reading for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C: The Lord’s Prayer. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle.
FINISHED LORD TEACH US TO PRAY JOHN HALLOWED GIVE US DAILY BREAD FORGIVE US DEBT FRIEND ARRIVED BOTHER LOCKED IN BED GET UP KNOCK BE OPENED FINDS AN EGG GOOD THINGS
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that persistence in prayer ALWAYS bears fruit (though not necessarily the fruit we initially intend); the fruitfulness of prayer is that it brings us closer to the heart and mind of Jesus.
Jesus concludes this section of his teaching with words of great reassurance. Using the parent-child image, he offers
a poignant message of hope for all who pray: “If you, with all your sins, know how to give your children good things, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13).
Msgr. John N. Fell serves as Episcopal Vicar for the Vicariate for Clergy.
Stepping forward in charity
Donations bring hope to Ozanam Shelter residents
By Tiffany Workman Special Contributor
Donations are essential to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen’s homeless shelters, serving as the vital lifeline that empowers them to provide critical support and a pathway to stability for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Residents at two CCDOM shelters will soon feel the immediate positive impact of two recent, welcome donations.
Thanks to the generosity of a bequest, every resident at CCDOM’s two emergency shelters, Ozanam Family Shelter and Ozanam Inn, recently received a brand-new packet of socks – an item often overlooked but deeply valued by those experiencing homelessness.
This thoughtful donation brought comfort, warmth, and dignity to our residents, many of whom arrive with few personal belongings. For people living in crisis, clean socks can make a powerful difference – not only in physical health, but also in self-esteem and emotional well-being.
Nicole Fernandez-Macahilig, service area director shared, “Receiving something as simple as new socks can be a profound reminder that one’s well-being still matters to others.”
CCDOM is deeply grateful for this impactful donation. On behalf of all the residents and staff, they want to thank
those for helping us provide not just shelter, but compassion and care.
The Ozanam Family Shelter is deeply grateful to the Catholic Daughters of the Americas for their generous donation of $5,000. This meaningful contribution will go a long way in helping provide essential support and services to the individuals and families they serve.
Andrea Smykla and Barbara Bieber, members of the Catholic Daughters, personally presented the donation to Fernandez-Macahilig, and Cynthia Bagner, Resident Attendant Supervisor of the Ozanam Family Shelter. CCDOM and the Ozanam Family Shelter is truly grateful for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, for their compassion and commitment to supporting the shelter. Their generosity truly makes a difference in the lives of the residents.
Without the generosity of individuals and organizations, shelters would struggle to deliver the comprehensive support needed to help residents regain independence and transition into permanent housing. Every donation directly impacts lives, offering not just physical necessities but also a powerful message of hope and community solidarity.
The Ozanam Family Shelter provides shelter for 16 single women and 26 families. Services include temporary and emergency lodging, meals, assistance
with housing, employment and children’s educational placement, case management and referrals. While living in the shelter, program residents work with case managers to improve their earning capacity and obtain permanent housing. The Ozanam Family Shelter is located at 89 Truman Drive, Edison, N.J., 08817. They can be reached at 732-985-0327.
The Ozanam Inn provides temporary and emergency lodging, meals, assistance with housing and employment, case management and referrals to homeless men. The Ozanam Inn is located at 24 Abeel Street, New Brunswick, N.J., 08901. They can be reached at 732-729-0850.
For both the Ozanam Family Shelter and the Ozanam Inn, applicants must be homeless in Middlesex County, be willing to answer questions during screening process, agree to refrain from use of alcohol and other drugs, be able to take care of themselves, be willing to abide by shelter rules, and may not be a threat to themselves, staff or other residents. Former shelter residents may be denied subsequent placement if they refused to abide by shelter rules in previous stays, and show no evidence of change.
For more informa-
tion about Catholic Charities Diocese of Metuchen, please visit ccdom.org. LIKE & Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X @ccdom1 to stay updated on upcoming events and ways we help clients get the services and assistance they need.
Tiffany Workman is the Communications Specialist in the Office of Communications and Public Relations.
Mental Health Navigator is a free service designed to educate residents of the Diocese about how to obtain mental health services and gain understanding about health insurance coverage, resources near their home or work, and advocating for their rights within a challenging system. If you or a loved one would benefit from this service, call 732-857-3811 Middlesex County; 908-333-2282 Somerset, Hunterdon, Warren Counties. Spanish speaking navigator available. Tenemos navegadores we hablan español.
Mental Health Navigation Services
Below left, Andrea Smykla and Barbara Bieber, members of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, presents the $5,000 donation to Nicole Fernandez-Macahilig, service area director, and Cynthia Bagner, resident attendant supervisor, Ozanam Family Shelter. • Below center, Bagner, poses with residents and their new pairs of socks. —CCDOM photos
Saint Peter’s operating nurses recognized for advancing knowledge, skills
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, has once again earned the CNOR® Strong designation, recognizing its operating room nurses for meeting national standards of excellence as a result of advanced training.
Established by the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI), the CNOR Strong designation recognizes facilities having at least 50 percent of its operating room (OR) nursing staff CNOR certified and provides programs that reward and recognize certified nurses. This is Saint Peter’s 12th recognition and 70 percent of its OR nursing staff are CNOR certified.
The CNOR® certification program is for perioperative nurses interested in improving and validating their knowledge and skills and providing the highest quality care to their patients.
Certification also recognizes a nurse’s commitment to professional development. It is an objective, measurable way of acknowledging the achievement of specialized knowledge beyond basic nursing preparation and RN licensure.
CNOR-certified nurses demonstrate excellence in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care; sterile technique; surgical equipment management and handling to minimize infection risk; emergency response; understanding patient rights and professional responsi-
bilities; and effective teamwork.
Research shows that nurses who earn the CNOR credential have greater confidence in their clinical practice. Thus, a team of certified nurses who have mastered the standards of perioperative practice provides even more empowerment, further advancing a culture of professionalism and promoting improved patient outcomes.
This strength in numbers is why CCI launched the CNOR Strong program – to recognize healthcare facilities committed to making a difference for its patients, both inside and outside of the OR.
“This recognition is a testament to the skill and dedication of our operating room nurses. Achieving CNOR certification reflects their commitment to delivering exceptional care and maintaining the highest standards in patient safety,” said Anna Prendergast, director, Perioperative Services at Saint Peter’s University Hospital. “At Saint Peter’s, we not only encourage our nursing staff to engage in continuing education, but we also make it accessible by offering flexible onsite classes and seminars designed to accommodate their diverse work schedules.”
“Saint Peter’s nurses continue to set a gold standard in patient care,” said Linda Carroll, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer for Saint Peter’s Healthcare System. “Consistently
achieving CNOR recognition speaks volumes about our nurses’ commitment to excellence in operating room procedures.”
Established in 1979, CCI provides the CNOR® and CSSM® (Certified Surgical Services Manager) credentials to more than 40,000 registered nurses, making it one of the largest specialty nursing credentialing organizations and the leading certification body for periop-
erative nurses. The mission of CCI is to lead competency credentialing that promotes safe, quality patient care and that supports lifelong learning.
For more information about the Competency and Credentialing Institute, visit www.cc-institute.org.
For more information about nursing opportunities at Saint Peter’s, visit saintpetershcs.com/careers.
Saint Peter’s University Hospital implements Lightbeam AI
Lightbeam Health Solutions, the proven, AI-enabled solutions and services leader in population health management, and Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a non-profit, 478-bed acute care teaching hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, announced a 7.1% absolute reduction (from 16.7% to 9.5%) in emergency department (ED) visits among high-risk patients using Lightbeam AI.
Lightbeam AI Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Individual solution predicts which patients are at risk of avoidable ED utilization within the next 90 days based on social vulnerability and enables early interventions and streamlined care coordination without requiring complex integrations or costly clinical inputs.
By detecting social vulnerabilities, which account for 80% of health outcomes, Lightbeam’s SDOH AI solutions prescribed targeted recommendations that empowered care teams to intervene proactively, significantly reduce avoidable ED utilization, and associated costs.
“Through partnerships and grant funding, we had existing programs to support food accessibility and transportation but not a way to efficiently identify which patients needed them,” said Ishani Ved, director of Transformational Population Health and Outcomes at Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, parent company of Saint Peter’s University Hospital.
“Lightbeam AI identified patients with food and transportation needs, empowering our clinical team to make efficient referrals to existing programs,
ultimately enabling us to more effectively serve a growing and predominantly vulnerable population.”
Lightbeam’s SDOH Individual model offers a powerful, cost-effective solution to improve outcomes for high and rising-risk populations aligned with value-based care (VBC) performance objectives.
By addressing social risk factors without requiring complex integrations, Lightbeam AI automates care intervention to prevent avoidable utilization, close care gaps, and deliver comprehensive, high-value care for those who are vulnerable and need it the most.
“This collaboration highlights the power of AI and the integration of SDOH to improve care, enhance care manager capacity, and achieve meaningful cost savings,” said Pat Cline, Lightbeam CEO. “Our market-leading, purpose-built AI models are transforming population health management for clients like Saint Peter’s to reduce ED visits and avoidable admissions while enhancing patient satisfaction.”
To learn more about Saint Peter’s success with Lightbeam’s AI-powered solutions that automate healthcare systems and delivery, access the full case study at lightbeamhealth.com. Register now to join our LinkedIn Live series, Voices of Value: Part 2 – The Art of the Possible with AI in Healthcare, featuring Andy Dé, CMO of Lightbeam Health, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. CT on the Lightbeam Health LinkedIn Event Page.
Church adds Mass ‘for care of creation’ to missal, Pope to celebrate
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Catholic priests will now be able to celebrate Mass “for the care of creation” after the Vatican announced that a new formulary of prayers and biblical readings for the Mass will be added to the Roman Missal – the liturgical book that contains the texts for celebrating Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church.
The new formulary, or specific set of texts and prayers for Mass, will be added among the “civil needs” section of the “Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions” listed in the Roman Missal. The current missal, approved by St. John Paul II in 2000, lists 17 “civil needs” to offer Masses and prayers for, including “for the nation or state,” “after the harvest,” “for refugees and exiles” and “in time of earthquake.” The missal lists another 20 particular needs for the church and 12 for other circumstances.
Pope Leo XIV will use the new formulary for a private Mass July 9 with the staff of Borgo Laudato Si’ ecology project – a space for education and training in integral ecology hosted in the gardens of the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo, the traditional summer residence for the popes.
The formulary for the Mass began development during Pope Francis’ pontificate in response to “requests for a liturgical way of celebrating the meaning and the message of ‘Laudato si’,’” said Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, who presented the new
formulary at a news conference July 3.
“The true authors of this text are Scripture, the (Church) fathers and ‘Laudato si’,’” said Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The new formulary, Archbishop Viola said, “receives some of the principal themes contained in Laudato Si’ and expresses them in the form of prayer within the theological framework that the encyclical revives.”
He described the set of prayers as “a good antidote against a certain reading of ‘Laudato si’’ that risks reducing the depth of its content to a ‘superficial or ostensible ecology’” that is “far from that integral ecology widely described and explained in the encyclical.”
The Mass formulary begins with the entrance antiphon from Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims works of his hands.”
The Collect prayer, which gathers the prayer intentions of the faithful to close the introductory rites of the Mass, asks God “that docile to the life-giving breath of your Spirit, we may lovingly care for the work of your hands.”
The prayer after Communion asks for increased communion with God “so that, as we await the new heavens and the new earth, we may learn to live in harmony with all creatures.”
The proposed biblical readings include Wisdom 13:1-9, Colossians 1:1520, and selections from the Gospel of
One of the gardens of the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, is seen May 29, 2025, the day Pope Leo XIV made a visit to the villa and the “Borgo Laudato Si’” project, which Pope Francis set up to promote ecology education.
—CNS photo/Pablo Esparza
Matthew that recount Jesus calming the storm and calling people to trust in divine providence through the lilies of the field and the birds of the air.
In the decree dated June 8 issuing the new formulary, Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, wrote, “At this time it is evident that the work of creation is seriously threatened because of the irresponsible use and abuse of the goods God has endowed to our care.”
“This is why it is considered appropriate to add a Mass formulary” on the
care of creation, he wrote.
However, “this Mass is a reason for joy,” said Cardinal Czerny during the July 3 news conference. “It increases our gratitude, strengthens our faith and invites us to respond with care and love in an ever-growing sense of wonder, reverence and responsibility.”
The new formulary “calls us to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us, not only in daily choices and public policies, but also in our prayer, our worship and our way of living in the world,” he added.
Pope prays for conversion of those resisting climate action at new Mass
By Justin McLellan, Catholic News Service
“We must pray for the conversion of many people, inside and outside of the Church, who still do not recognize the urgency of caring for our common home,” Pope Leo XIV said while celebrating a new formulary of the Mass “for the care of creation.”
Far from the pounding organ of St. Peter’s Basilica or the throngs of faithful sprawled across St. Peter’s Square, the Pope celebrated Mass July 9 to the accompaniment of chirping birds in the gardens of the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo, the traditional summer residence of the popes some 15 miles southeast of Rome.
The Mass was attended by the staff of the Borgo Laudato Si’ ecology project – a space for education and training in integral ecology hosted in the gardens – as well as Vatican officials and Holy Cross Father Daniel Groody, an expert on migration and associate provost for undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
Lamenting the natural disasters around the world that “are in part caused by the excesses of human beings, with their lifestyle,” the Pope urged the intimate gathering in his homily “to ask ourselves
if we ourselves are living this conversion or not: how greatly it is needed!”
The formulary of the Mass “for the care of creation” was added to the Roman Missal – the liturgical book that contains the texts for celebrating Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church –by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments June 8.
The formulary, included among 17 other “civil needs” for which a priest can offer Mass, selects prayers and readings for the celebration of Mass that affirm the place of God’s creation in worship.
While the Pope’s Mass was celebrat-
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass for the Care of Creation on the grounds of the Borgo Laudato Si’ ecology center in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 9, 2025. —CNS photo/Cristian Gennari, pool
reached the heart of God. Our indignation is his indignation; our work is his work.”
The Church, he added, must speak prophetically before the climate crisis “even when it requires the boldness to oppose the destructive power of the ‘princes’ of this world.”
“The indestructible covenant between creator and creatures mobilizes our intellect and efforts, so that evil may be turned to good, injustice to justice, greed to communion.”
ed in Italian, parts of the Mass pertaining to the new formulary were read in Latin.
“In a burning world, be it because of global warming or armed conflicts,” people today find themselves filled with fear, just as the disciples were in the face of a storm that was calmed by Christ, Pope Leo said in his homily. But, he added, “There is hope! We have found it in Jesus.”
“The mission of safeguarding creation, of bringing peace and reconciliation” is “the mission which the Lord has entrusted to us,” Pope Leo said. “We listen to the cry of the earth, we listen to the cry of the poor, because this cry has
Quoting at length from Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” Pope Leo recalled the harmony with creation that St. Francis of Assisi achieved in his lifetime to the point of calling created things “brother, sister, mother.”
“Just one contemplative gaze can change our relationship with created things and bring us out of the ecological crisis that has, as its cause, the breakdown of relationships with God, neighbor, and the earth because of sin,” he said.
Pope Leo was scheduled to spend two weeks in July at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, reviving a custom skirted by Pope Francis. The Pope moved there July 6 following his noontime recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square.
Local Rutgers grad takes final vows as sister in Ohio
Sister Lisa Marie Shatynski of Mon roe Township professed her final vows as a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother at the order’s monastery in Toronto, Ohio.
Bishop Edward Lohse, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Steu benville, witnessed her vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. She wore a white cape and a crown of roses and received a gold ring, which her order described as signs that she is a bride of Christ.
Sister Lisa Marie is the daughter of Pamela and William Shatynski. She grew up attending Immaculate Conception Parish in Spotswood and attended school in Monroe Township.
As she prepared for her final vows June 7, Sister Lisa Marie said: “In the past few weeks of preparation, the Lord has led me to reflect on how this call to religious life has been a call since the moment of my conception and confirmed through my baptismal name, Lisa, which means consecrated to God. I cannot fath om the gift of this call. It is not some thing I chose but has been gifted to me by the Father. How beautiful the unique plan God has for each of our lives.”
Before joining the order, Sister Lisa Marie – who said she wanted to become an animal behaviorist, retire early and open an animal sanctuary – earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science at Rutgers University. During that time, that she began questioning the Catholic faith, but those questions eventually led her to become very involved with the Catholic Student Association at Rutgers, where her faith deepened and solidified.
During her junior year of college, she began discerning religious life. She was guided by her spiritual director and
mentors, including campus ministers, and the witness of the Brotherhood of Hope, a religious community whose members ministered on the campus of Rutgers.
In a vocation statement on the Franciscan Sisters’ website, www.franciscansisterstor.org, Sister Lisa Marie said that during a pilgrimage to Lourdes and Lisieux, both in France, she noticed that her heart was drawn to a spirituality of being with Mary at the foot of the Cross and the crucified love of Jesus. She eventually visited the Franciscan Sisters of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother and noticed that
there were similarities between her spirituality and that of the community.
After graduating from Rutgers, Sister Lisa Marie served as a campus ministry missionary at Florida State University, where she was able to serve alongside peers and several members of her Franciscan order, who also minister at that location. She continued to discern and entered the community in August 2017.
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For the past several years, Sister Lisa Marie has served college students on the main campus and in the study
Sister Lisa Marie Shatynski of Monroe Township professed her final vows as a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother at the order’s monastery in Toronto, Ohio, June 7. Sister Lisa Marie, who had been active in the Catholic Student Association at Rutgers University, noted, “I cannot fathom the gift of this call … How beautiful the unique plan God has for each of our lives.”
From left is Rev. Mother Della Marie Doyle, TOR; Bishop Edward Lohse, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio; Sister Lisa Marie, and Sister Elizabeth Beussink, TOR, formator for sisters in temporary vows. —Courtesy photo
abroad program in Gaming, Austria, with Franciscan University of Steubenville. Most recently she has served students in Tallahassee, Florida, on the campus of Florida State University, and she will continue this ministry next year.
To learn more about the Franciscan Sisters, T.O.R. (Third Order Regular), visit our website at www.franciscansisterstor.org.
Contributed by Franciscan Sister Amanda Marie Thiele, TOR, of Penance of the Sorrowful Mother.
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Augustinian prior opens up about papal vacation, first encyclical, appointments and tennis
ROME (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV began his summer break July 6 at Castel Gandolfo, where he’ll stay through July 20. But don’t expect the Holy Father to simply relax.
According to Augustinian Father Alejandro Moral Antón, a longtime friend, Pope Leo plans to draft the framework of his first encyclical during the break – possibly touching on peace, unity or artificial intelligence.
Father Moral, prior general of the Augustinian order, shared insights with the Italian daily Il Messaggero on how Pope Leo will spend his summer break in Castel Gandolfo.
“When he informed me that he would take a break by going to Castel Gandolfo, I was personally very happy. I know he is working a lot, with astonishing rhythms. He is an indefatigable person and I know that by nature he never backs down. But lately, I have even seen him a bit thinner,” Father Moral, 70-yearold Spaniard told Il Messaggero’s Vatican correspondent Franca Giansoldati.
He said that even in his time as prior general in the Augustinian curia, Father Robert Francis Prevost “always operated tirelessly.”
“I remember that even when he was prior, he was the first to cross the chapel threshold, early in the morning, and at night in his room, the light stayed on until very late. I remember because we were neighbors. Now that he is Pope, things
have not changed much, and he has many more responsibilities.”
Father Moral told Il Messaggero that the Pope stays up late, replying “to many messages on WhatsApp even at three in the morning, evidently when he reaches the end of his day, before going to bed. It’s his nature. Reliable, consistent, prepared, never inattentive.”
While the fellow Augustinian admitted his “public commitments have been reduced to a minimum” for vacation and that “he will recite the Angelus and celebrate Sunday Mass in nearby parishes,” he also said that at Villa Barberini, where the Pope will be staying, “I know he will begin work on his first encyclical.”
Asked whether the title is known yet, the prior replied: “I don’t think so, the other day he just told me that he will use these two weeks to develop the main structure of the text. Obviously, he is already working on it, but he is forced to do it in the evening or in spare moments and would need more time, which will happen during the vacation.”
Regarding the encyclical, Father MoraI said: “I can imagine it will be something related to the concepts evoked since the first hours of his election. The theme of peace, social doctrine, unity, artificial intelligence. But these are just my deductions.”
Asked whether the Pope will play tennis – the sport he enjoys most, according to reports, the Spanish Augustinian
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said: “To be honest, he never stopped. Even though he has only done it once in two months, a couple of weeks ago, coming right here, to the house of the Augustinians. He played with his personal secretary, Don Edgar. It was one of his rare moments of leisure. He lacks time now. In the past, we played together too, we challenged each other many times” on a court that overlooked “the general curia.”
Despite the fact that the papal stay will take place in a villa, not the main palace – transformed into a museum by Pope Francis – the Pope’s fellow friar said that for him, “the important thing is that he rests because then a heavy autumn awaits him, very dense, between Jubilee
(Year) commitments, appointments and travels.”
Only after the summer break, the Pope will make changes to the Vatican government – in other words – the Curia, Father Moral predicted.
“This break will certainly help him weigh everything. The time available will then be used to write the encyclical.”
Asked about papal trips, Father Moral said that “this year, apart from the trip to Turkey, I don’t think there will be any other trips, considering that there is the Jubilee and many other commitments. Next year, however, I think we will see him with a suitcase in hand, something he has always done when he was prior.”
Pope Leo XIV waves after arriving in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 6, 2025. The pope will stay in Castel Gandolfo for his customary retreat through July 20. —OSV News
photo/Alessia Giuliani, CPP
By Greg Johnson, Correspondent
Upon transferring from Voorhees to Immaculata last year, Jackson Trego quickly learned that his new high school was going to have a profound impact on his life.
“At Immaculata, there’s a big sense of community and everybody kind of knows everyone,” said Trego, who completed his junior year in June. “It’s a lot different.”
For Trego, an Asbury, N.J., resident who grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., the switch to Immaculata has also helped him develop into a top pitcher with the potential to play college baseball.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound right-hander was a dominant force for the Spartans this spring, leading the team in innings (46.1)
Jackson Trego developing into top baseball pitcher at Immaculata High
Jackson Trego throws a bullpen session during his junior season with Immaculata on May 27 at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
—Hal Brown photo
while posting a 1.66 ERA with 40 strikeouts. Arguably his biggest achievement was hurling six shutout innings on May 21 at TD Bank Ballpark – home of the Somerset Patriots – as Immaculata defeated Ridge to capture its first Somerset County Tournament title in six years.
Immaculata matched its most wins in the last six seasons with a 17-8 record, and Trego admitted he made a bigger impact as a transfer than he anticipated.
“Transferring definitely was not the easiest thing ever, leaving all my friends and stuff, but I was able to come in and they pretty much welcomed me with open arms, which was awesome,” Trego said. “Being able to just come in and compete and have them have my back
was a big factor in why I was able to be competitive on the mound.”
Trego decided to transfer partly because Immaculata is a Catholic school and partly because of baseball.
He joined the Diamond Jacks shortly after his freshman year, and because Immaculata head coach Kevin Cust is the director of that elite baseball program at Diamond Nation in Flemington – where Immaculata plays home games – it was the perfect fit.
“He puts us in a great position to compete and go and win games, honestly,” Trego said. “I don’t think there were really many games this season where we thought we were going to lose. He brings everyone together, I’d say. It’s a great environment to be around, and everyone is my best friend. We’re all super close, and he has a great program there where everyone’s bought into it and we play for each other’s backs.”
The Diamond Jacks program was established in 2000 and has developed notable players such as current Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe.
While receiving instruction at Diamond Nation from Steve Schrenk, a former Phillies pitcher, as well as online from Tread Athletics, Trego has grown into a significantly better pitcher in the past year. He had struggled as a sophomore at Voorhees, allowing 21 earned
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runs in 24 innings.
Trego said he learned a new grip for his slider, which became his best pitch at Immaculata, and how to utilize his circle changeup better as well. His four-seam fastball sits in the low 80s and has topped out at 85 miles per hour.
Trego is also pitching in local and national events this summer with the Diamond Jacks Super 17s. His mental approach has been his main focus lately.
“I throw hard enough, but I’m not going to be able to just throw a fastball every time and beat them,” Trego said. “Before this I was a catcher, so I didn’t really pitch that much until my freshman year, so I’m learning how to really use the slider and the changeup in the right times and right spots to get outs and mix my pitches.”
Trego began to train more as a pitcher, upon a suggestion from former Voorhees head coach and Diamond Jacks instructor Cory Kent, due to his taller frame.
Now, with another year of high school development still left, Trego is drawing interest from Division II and Division III schools. It’s only fitting because his father played Division II baseball at Coker University and was the one who introduced Trego to the sport when he was about five years old.
Before that time comes, Trego is excited for his senior year at Immaculata.
“It was definitely a great season,” Trego said when reflecting on the spring. “As a team in general, we all play with each other and play for each other.”
2025
CHILDREN’S CHOIR SUMMER CAMP
AUGUST 11-15 AND AUGUST 17
The Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi is pleased to announce its 3rd ANNUAL SUMMER CHOIR CAMP for all rising 3rd-8th grade students. Students from any parishes within or outside of the Diocese are welcome to attend! Every day, students will participate in choir rehearsals, music theory classes with the Camp’s outstanding music faculty, work on composer projects, and sing for the Cathedral’s daily 12:10 Mass. There will also be fun outdoor activities (weather permitting), games, and snacks! Plus, each chorister will have an opportunity to play the Cathedral’s pipe organ! Additionally, the choristers will reconvene on Sunday, August 17, to sing for the 12 Noon Mass at the Cathedral, and will have a BBQ after Mass.
For more information, please contact Christopher Deibert, Director of Sacred Music –Music@StFrancisCathedral.org
St. Joe’s volleyball caps off transformative season with third straight state title
By Will Kwiatkowski, Correspondent
Just a few months ago, Metuchen’s St. Joseph High School opened its volleyball season with three straight losses, an inauspicious start for a team defending the state title with championship aspirations.
Despite this disappointing start, the Falcons completed a stunning turnaround by walking off the court on June 11 as state champions for the sixth time in school history.
The No. 5 team in New Jersey capped off its midseason transformation with a 2-0 win over Randolph in the NJSIAA Group 2 boys volleyball final at South Brunswick. The victory marked the Falcons’ third consecutive state title and closed out a 27-5 season.
It was a soaring slam from junior Dominic Nycz that sealed the fate for Randolph and crowned St. Joe’s.
“I hit it with everything I had,” Nycz said. “It’s something you dream about.”
That final swing was more than just a point. It was the culmination of months of growth as individuals and especially as a team for St. Joe’s.
“This team really became a family,” Nycz said. “We built trust and chemistry throughout the season. Our practices were where that work happened, and it showed today.”
That growth translated on the court, where every player elevated their game when it mattered most.
“There were things some players may have struggled with individually earlier in the season, but they pulled it all together,” Cabrita said. “The defense was sharp; ball control was on.”
Among the players who fueled that transformation was senior Gian Gomez, not only for his performance, but for his sacrifice. Gomez, a natural outside hitter, spent much of the season playing out of position to help cover gaps in the middle as younger teammates developed.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that Gian made a huge sacrifice this season by playing out of position,” Cabrita said. “We had limited depth in the middle and younger guys still growing into their roles. Gian stepped in to stabilize us. That kind of selflessness sets the tone for everyone.”
On the court, the Saint Francis University commit was a force in his final match. He tallied eight kills and six digs, closing out a high school career filled with titles in every season since his sophomore year.
“This one feels different,” Gomez said. “Being part of a three-peat is something I dreamed about when I saw those trophies as a freshman. Now I leave knowing I helped build that legacy. It’s special.”
The St. Joe’s turnaround was no fluke. After its 0-3 start, the team rattled off 27 wins in its final 29 matches. Along the way, the Falcons faced their share of adversity, including a tight sectional final against Holmdel, but found ways to stay composed under pressure.
“Earlier in the year, we would’ve let teams creep back in,” Cabrita said. “But this group matured. When we had the lead today, we locked in, trusted each other, and executed.”
That trust extended to every corner of the court. Players like senior Tyler Huseth, junior Carter Tarpley and freshman Saizo Takenaga contributed in the final.
Senior setters Sean Martinez and Sam Contursi kept the offense running smoothly with 12 assists apiece. Defensively, the Falcons held strong against every adjustment Randolph tried to make.
Nycz not only delivered the final kill, but he also served as a steady presence for St. Joe’s all season. Cabrita praised him as a leader on the court.
“From the moment Dom stepped on the court with us, we knew he belonged,” Cabrita said. “His personality, his character, he’s a leader by example. He treats everyone with respect and never plays like he’s better than anyone else. That’s what makes a lasting impact.”
As the Falcons look ahead to next year, they’ll say goodbye to a core group of seniors, including Gomez. But the program’s foundation remains strong.
“This group set the standard,” Cabrita said. “We don’t just build for one year. We build piece by piece, every season. These guys put in the work, and it paid off in the best way.”
Three straight titles. One unforgettable journey. And a program that shows no signs of slowing down.
Will Kwiatkowski is a student at Indiana University and serves as an intern with The Catholic Spirit.
St. Joe’s junior Dominic Nycz digs the ball during the Group 2 boys volleyball state final against
Right, St. Joe’s senior Gian Gomez goes up to hit the ball.
Below, St. Joe’s celebrates after winning 2-0 against Randolph in the Group 2 boys volleyball state final on June 11 at South Brunswick High.
—Hal Brown photos
Randolph on June 11 at South Brunswick High.
Mount Saint Mary’s Mackenzie Daly emerges as one of N. J.’s top track & field jumpers
By Greg Johnson, Correspondent
In only three years, Mackenzie Daly has already become one of Mount Saint Mary Academy’s premier athletes.
The rising senior has set school records in the long jump, triple jump and 200-meter dash in both the indoor and outdoor seasons for track & field. She has already competed on primetime stages such as the New Balance Nationals and Nike Nationals.
Yet when asked what Daly’s biggest accomplishment has been so far at the Mount, longtime track and field coach Andre Bridgett pointed to her character.
“I would say helping other girls around her get better,” Bridgett said. “She’s a very supportive teammate, and she definitely encourages her teammates. She helps everyone get better, and that’s one of the things I love about the sport. When you get someone who puts in the work and starts seeing results, they definitely get others to start following a similar path.”
Daly recalls feeling humbled in the winter of her sophomore year when Bridgett pulled her aside and told her he saw high potential in her ability to lead. She admittedly wasn’t always the most focused person in practice, and that conversation drove her to become a great athlete and leader.
Now, she is carrying the torch for the school in a major way. Daly was the only Mount Saint Mary athlete to compete at New Jersey’s Meet of Champions this spring, finishing 15th in the triple jump and 27th in the long jump.
“I’m honored to be that for the school and represent,” Daly said. “All the Meet of Champions I’ve been to, except my first one, which was last spring, I’ve gone alone. So it was really great to be there and represent my school and show
Bridgett, who has 30 years of coaching experience at three high schools as well as at the national and Olympic levels, instead focuses on the mechanics of running.
“I feel as though all jumpers are sprinters,” Bridgett said. “Ninety percent of a person’s jump, whether it’s a high jump, long jump or triple jump, even a pole vault … is on the ground, so my emphasis is on being able to sprint well. We do things to jump, but even with a hurdler, some coaches will say hurdlers are hurdlers first. I’m still a firm believer in, there are 10 hurdles they must clear, but the majority of the time they’re on the ground covering the distance in between.”
Daly agrees that it all starts with having strong mechanics on the ground.
“It just makes for better jumps because my setup is more in my body,” Daly said. “Having good sprint mechanics does help a lot with my jumps because my run-ups are consistent, and that helps me to be more comfortable when I take off for a jump during competitions.”
sprints both individually and in relays, as well as short hurdles in relays. She is also Mount Saint Mary’s cross country team manager during the fall.
While learning under Bridgett, her biggest takeaway has been mental techniques. The physical techniques, she believes, are easier to come by from any coach.
“He focuses a lot on visualization – seeing ourselves do well – and a lot also on self-esteem and believing in yourself,” Daly said. “He preaches if you don’t believe in yourself, then nothing’s gonna work out for you on the track. I think that’s definitely helped me when I’ve not had the best meets. He’s always super cognizant and focusing on my mental health and making sure that I’m good, making sure I don’t go through these crazy mood swings. He’s taught me a lot about mental resiliency.”
that this tiny all-girls Catholic school can still produce top-performing athletes.”
Daly’s success traces back to her upbringing in Piscataway. Her interest in the sport piqued while attending meets featuring her brother, who is four years older. She also has a sister who is two years older and was a thrower in track & field at the Mount, which inspired her to enroll there.
Daly started competing in eighth grade, but the middle school team only had long jumping. Yet she believes she has shined the most in the triple jump in high school because her leg strength is more advantageous for the different phases of that event.
“I think my dance background has definitely helped with that strength,” Daly said. “But then also just training, jumping whenever I can, and just believing in myself. When I started getting more awards and medals and going to jump finals and stuff like that throughout the seasons, I think that showed me that I can have a solid future with jumping.”
Contrary to what many people might think, the team spends little time actually jumping during its two-hour, 15-minute practices.
Even though she only actually practices jumps about twice a week, Daly feels prepared for competitions because it’s about quality over quantity and it keeps her legs fresher. Plus, the team also spends a day working on the different jumping phases and plyometrics.
Lately, Daly has been fine-tuning the landing phase of her jumps while competing with her summer track team at USATF national events.
In addition, Daly competes during the winter and spring seasons in short
Above, Mount Saint Mary track & field coach Andre Bridgett, left, and Mackenzie Daly talk during a team practice at the school.
Below, Mackenzie Daly finished 15th in New Jersey in the triple jump and 27th in the long jump at the Meet of Champions on June 4 in Pennsauken.
—Hal Brown photos
Daly is also a sound student who aspires to compete in college track & field. Before she gets there, she hopes to go out as a senior winning an event at the Meet of Champions next winter or spring.
“I’ve been on the podium multiple times, and I just feel like it’s time for me to win that,” Daly said. “I also have a goal of being an All-American at a Nationals, either New Balance or Nike, because I’ve seen what it takes to get there and I know that I’m putting in the work over the summer and through the fall to get there. I think that would be a great thing to accomplish during my time at the Mount.”
The gift of art nurtures faith, builds connections
Amidst
Spiritual mixed-media artist Benjamin Fernandez can relate. A recent college graduate working two jobs while maintaining a studio practice, exhibiting in solo and group shows and curating exhibitions for other artists, Fernandez understands a busy schedule.
When Fernandez, a parishioner at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Bridgewater, was generously gifted beautiful, limited edition religious serigraph prints depicting the Adoration of the Magi, by Italian contemporary artist Gabriela Desvaldi, with the hope that he would sell them to help continue his education, he was initially unsure as to how he would fit this ambitious endeavor into his already-packed schedule.
After some thought, Fernandez decided to approach these serigraphs with the same philosophy as he does his own work, believing that art is a gift to be shared and a way into the soul. Art, he feels, empowers a connection with others on a common spiritual level.
“Admiring this serigraph encouraged me to contemplate the story of the Adoration of the Magi,” Fernandez said. “The depiction of this pivotal event is a beautiful reminder of Jesus Christ as God’s gift to humanity, and the source of our belief and faith as Christians.”
Fernandez was inspired to gift the serigraphs initially to a small group of family and friends. Soon, he was connecting with others who he thought might enjoy them. “Recipients were immensely grateful simply to reconnect, even before considering the serigraph,” he says. “They then touched base to share their own stories and connections fostered by the artwork.
Fernandez has also donated serigraphs to prominent places of worship, including the Motherhouse and St. Catherine of Siena Convent and Healthcare Center of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell, St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church, Caldwell, and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Metuchen, to name a few.
Msgr. Randall Vashon, pastor, expressed appreciation for the gift, saying, “On behalf of the parishioners of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, we are sincerely appreciative of the donation of a signed serigraph print depicting the Adoration of the Magi by Gabriela Desvaldi. It is truly beautiful and will be hung in our parish chapel for all to enjoy.”
Fernandez later began offering his framing services, including restored vintage and antique frames. “I could not have possibly imagined the sheer volume of connections and gratitude that would be facilitated through this initiative,” he says. “It is amazing how just a small gesture of faith and kindness has made such a profound and positive impact on myself and others.”
Gift recipient Flor de Maria Thomas of Mendham, shared,“I feel so grateful to receive this beautiful gift. I will cherish it for as long as I live. In addition, I know two lovely people who have been going through so much in their lives, and their faith in God is so amazing. I see the happiness these pictures give.”
Fernandez added, “None of us are too busy to offer a small act of kindness. The true gift is acknowledging people and connecting with them. Perhaps someone may even be inspired to take your example. Kindness is a gift that keeps on giving.”
Parishes that would like a serigraph may contact Ben Fernandez via email at bejafe-art@yahoo.com.
Artist Benjamin Fernandez stands among limited edition religious serigraph prints depicting the Adoration of the Magi by Italian contemporary artist Gabriela Desvaldi which Fernandez framed and has gifted to others in return. —Courtesy photo
What is the Catholic Church’s teaching on miracles?
QOne of the Protestant churches I attended in the past said that when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, it came to every believer in Jesus, including down to today, which they said meant we all ought to be able to do miracles. Another church taught the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles only, and that the ability to perform miracles ceased with the last of them. All we can do today, they said, is pray, hope for the best and leave it with God. What is the Catholic Church’s teaching on this?
AI think the best answer is that, as Catholics, we would reject both these extremes. We believe in the reality of past miracles and the possibility of miracles occurring in the future. But we also hold that almost by definition miracles are not something that the vast majority of Catholics will be able to work – and that the non-working of miracles is not a problem or a sign of weak faith.
Miracles are instances when God intervenes in an extraordinary way, i.e. in ways that supersede or “break” the laws of nature.
We might talk about certain awe-inspiring things in our normal human experience as being “miracles” in a poetic sense, such as when we call the birth of a baby a miracle of new life. But (at the risk of sounding like a wet blanket) such things are not truly miracles technically speaking.
We believe that when God created the universe, He did so in a marvelous way where all parts are well-ordered down to the smallest detail. The natural world thus reflects God’s splendor and glory, which is why we might feel a sense of awe when, e.g. gazing at a starry night sky or looking out at the vastness of the ocean. As human beings we are a special part of this creation, since we are made in God’s image and likeness and endowed with free will and rationality.
Because of our rational nature, through hard work and study human beings can come to know how the natural world is ordered and then make use of this knowledge to our advantage. For example, the whole of medical science is an attempt to understand how the human body works so that diseases and injuries can be healed. So if someone recovers from a serious illness, most often this is simply the human body healing as it was designed to do, possibly with human
assistance using natural scientific means. A true “medical miracle” would be a case where a person’s recovery had no possible natural explanation at all.
There are scenarios where the Catholic Church specifically looks for miracles. In particular, verified miracles are part of the canonization process for new saints. That is, the Church looks for miracles as a sign that the would-be saint actually is in heaven enjoying the beatific vision in the presence of God.
Yet for the most part, God seems to want and expect us to live our lives using nature as he designed it, as opposed to regularly relying on extraordinary signs or favors. Even in canonization processes, the Church is only interested in posthumous miracles; whether or not the potential saint had miracles associated with them while they were alive is not at all relevant to the Church’s estimation of their personal sanctity or degree of closeness with God.
And we know that Jesus – who while he walked the earth was certainly not shy about working miracles! – complained about those who would seek the miraculous in inappropriate ways. For example, in John’s Gospel, Jesus laments how some sought him out not for proper spiritual reasons, but because he fed them miraculously with the multiplied loaves and fishes (See Jn 6:26). And in Mark 8:12, Jesus, “sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Jenna Marie Cooper, who holds a licentiate in canon law, is a consecrated virgin and a canonist whose column appears weekly at OSV News. Send your questions to CatholicQA@osv.com.
August
For mutual coexistence
Let us pray that societies where coexistence seems more difficult might not succumb to the temptation of confrontation for ethnic, political, religious, or ideological reasons.
Members of the Peruvian community in Rome carry an image of Our Lord of the Miracles to St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Oct. 23, 2022, to join Pope Francis for the recitation of the Angelus prayer. —CNS photo/Vatican Media
Book of the Month
To order a copy of “Pomp, Circumstance, and Unsolicited Advice” by George Weigel or to browse their summer catalog, including a number of recent releases in both paperback and eBook formats, visit https://ignatius.com.
The Catholic Church invented what we know as the “university,” including the cultural tradition of free and open debate on disputed questions. Catholic colleges and universities thus stand poised to help reform institutions of higher learning at a moment of crisis in academic life throughout the western world.
In his commencement addresses to colleges and universities large and small, George Weigel challenges graduates to understand an academic degree as a summons to become the trustee of a great tradition. In his lectures to university audiences, Weigel addresses a host of issues in the contemporary Church and its interaction with the world with depth and insight.
Written in the vivid, often bracing style characteristic of one of contemporary Catholicism’s leading intellectuals, these addresses and lectures exemplify what Pope St. John Paul II called the Catholic “diakonia of the truth.”
George Weigel is a Distinguished Senior Fellow of Washington’s Ethics and Public Policy Center. He is the New York Times bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including the two volumes of his internationally acclaimed biography of Saint John Paul II, Witness to Hope and The End and the Beginning. Other works by Weigel include The Fragility of Order, The Next Pope, Evangelical Catholicism, and Not Forgotten.
“With American higher education currently in disarray, the moment is surely opportune for Catholic educators to retrieve and exemplify the great Catholic intellectual tradition of truth-seeking and self-interrogation. Toward that end, this sparkling collection of George Weigel’s university addresses could not be more timely. It’s a clarion call to Catholic colleges and universities to lead the way to renewal of institutions that have lost their sense of direction.”
— Mary Ann Glendon Professor of Law Emerita, Harvard University
“George Weigel has done it again. These discourses demonstrate his command of our cultural moment and his lively sense for the true purpose and vocation of university life. His ‘unsolicited advice’ calls out to our young people with words of challenge which they, deep down, yearn to hear. Indeed, Weigel winsomely summons all of us into the greatness and adventure that is life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
An invigorating read!”
— Msgr. James Shea President, University of Mary
“In this wide-ranging collection of essays focused on higher education, Weigel emphasizes the centrality of divine revelation, and of the Logos, Jesus Christ, as the key organizing principles of any true University. Without the ultimate unifying principles of all knowledge and wisdom, universities throughout the world have sadly devolved into multiversities in which the Truth is hard to find. Citing saints and other influential voices of the 20th century, Weigel encourages us to return
to that rigorous pursuit of truth
while already knowing that we possess the very fount of truth.”
— Peter Kilpatrick President, Catholic University of America
Pixar’s ‘Elio’ is the kind of movie that ‘Lightyear’ should have been
By Deacon Steven D. Greydanus
“Lightyear,” you may recall, was supposed to be Andy’s “Star Wars”: the iconic space opera that, in the “Toy Story” universe, turned Andy’s imagination from the Western mythos of Woody the cowboy to the sci-fi world of Buzz the space ranger. Except that “Lightyear” is actually a glum anti-space opera in which heroism fails and nobody saves the galaxy, your worst enemy is not the evil overlord but only yourself, and you missed your life on terra firma while you were misguidedly reaching for the stars.
“Your life isn’t up there,” Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldana) tells young Elio (Yonas Kibreab). “It’s down here.” It’s the same down-to-earth message as “Lightyear,” but “Elio” sells it as a Happy Meal instead of eating your vegetables. (Or being eaten by them – also an option in “Lightyear.”) It’s a kaleidoscopic, whimsical space adventure in which Elio takes on the evil overlord, saves the galaxy, makes friends, and then realizes that his life is on Earth with his aunt who loves him.
While this may not make it a great film, it does make “Elio” the kind of movie that will actually captivate young viewers in particular. Where other recent Pixar releases have been distinctly adolescent coming-of-age stories (“Turning Red,” “Elemental”) and/or focused on mature themes (“Soul,” “Onward”), “Elio” is fantastical escapism for children. It’s very silly; I almost want to say that, along with “Lightyear,” “Elio” is the kind of movie that “Over the Moon,” Glen Keane’s 2020 space fantasy, could have been if it hadn’t been too daft to hold together. “Elio” would be an ideal first theatrical experience for a young child.
Older viewers may find it agreeable if familiar fare, as extravagant in its visual opulence as it is formulaic in its thematic and storytelling choices. With a trio of directors (“Turning Red”’s Domee Shi and first-time directors Madeline Sharafian and Adrian Molina) and a different trio of writers (including “Turning Red” co-writer Julia Cho and “Soul” co-writer Mike Jones), “Elio” lacks the auteur vibe of most Pixar fare. Instead, it feels like the work of a very competent committee.
A committee that has definitely seen “Galaxy Quest” and “The Last Starfighter,” among others. It’s the story of a human boy who finds himself catapulted into an extraterrestrial conflict, with the leaders of a gentle but feeble alien federation mistaking him for a great Earth leader and looking to him for salvation from a bullying warlord they have no
idea how to handle. Meanwhile, an artificial replacement covers for his absence on Earth.
For Elio, this is a dream come true, more or less. For most of his young life he’s been fascinated with UFOs and desperate to make contact and get himself abducted. An orphan whose life can be bumpy at times, including some issues with bullying, Elio seems to think he’s a long-suffering Harry Potter awaiting his dream invitation to an outer-space Hogwarts. What is he really? More like the young protagonist from “Big Hero 6”: smart, quirky, obsessive, and a bit of a handful for his overwhelmed but devoted single aunt.
Like Hiro Hamada’s aunt, Aunt Olga works, but her career has far more plot relevance: She’s an Air Force major with derailed dreams of being an astronaut. (Like Saldana, Elio and his aunt have Dominican and Latino heritage; casting Saldana links the character to Gamora and Uhura. I’m also reminded of “Lightyear”’s Black female space ranger.) Olga’s Air Force base is charged with tracking orbiting space debris, not the search for extraterrestrial life (SETI) – but Elio isn’t the only person in Olga’s orbit with his head in the stars. Somehow, a message is sent to the universe, and the universe answers.
Elio’s much-anticipated introduction to the utopian “Communiverse” is as wondrous and expansive as only Pixar can make it, which is a lot. Pixar’s storytelling glory days may be long gone, but their visual virtuosity is second to none; “Elio” does for alien civilizations what “Coco” did for the land of the dead. “This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen,” Elio gasps shortly after his arrival, only to be told, “This is the bathroom.” (I couldn’t help thinking of Peter Kreeft’s description of purgatory as “heaven’s bathroom.”)
Then the other shoe drops: Lord Grigon shows up, and, if his menacing character design weren’t enough to let us know he’s the heavy, the moment he opens his mouth, Brad Garrett’s voice leaves no room for doubt. (Garrett’s bad-guy growl makes me think first of the outer-space outlaw biker Lobo in the animated “Superman” and “Justice League” series; kids may also recognize his sneering tones from the pirate captain in “Porco Rosso” or Fatso from 1990s “Casper.”)
Despite their advanced super-technology, alas, the Communiverse ambassadors (Jameela Jamil, among others) are effete, naive creampuffs, pitifully ill-equipped to deal with a Lord Grigon. Here’s where “Elio” makes a classic
Pixar move: The protagonist makes a big mistake. Desperate to be accepted by his new alien friends and not return to his life on Earth, Elio boldly steps into the role of galactic savior. It’s the most dramatic in a series of ill-advised, transgressive acts that he rationalizes in the name of his dream.
From the beginning, Pixar movies have given us flawed protagonists eventually obliged to face the music. I’ve long appreciated this moral theme, particularly as a corrective to the common “Junior Knows Best” trope, though to be fair “Elio” has one of those too: an alien kid (Remy Edgerly) who befriends Elio and doesn’t want to follow in his unsympathetic father’s footsteps. It all works out, and facing the music for Elio is less arduous than for some, because his story is set in a silly universe in which intergalactic issues are resolved fairly painlessly.
The deeper issue is that Elio feels alone and unwanted on Earth, and suspects that Aunt Olga will prefer his replacement, a quasi-clone so compliant, well-behaved, and cheerful that in fact it freaks her out. One of the film’s themes is that good parents might have hopes and wishes for you, but ultimately they love you the way you are. Making friends
in outer space, too, gives Elio confidence to do so on Earth. “You are unique,” Jamil’s character tells Elio, “and ‘unique’ can sometimes feel like ‘alone.’ But you are not alone.”
This is the film’s answer to the question asked by Carl Sagan in audio deployed in the movie: “Are we alone?” Sagan calls this question “an ancient human theme” that can be found “in virtually every culture in some guise or other in religion, folklore, superstition, and now in science.” The search for extraterrestrial intelligence in science fiction has often served as a metaphor for the search for the divine. The Communiverse utopia turns out to be too fragile to represent the infinite, but the image of an open door and a welcome into an unfathomably larger world remains a powerful one.
Steven D. Greydanus, a deacon for the Archdiocese of Newark, has been writing about film since 2000, when he created Decent Films, for film appreciation and criticism informed by Catholic faith. For 10 years he co-hosted the Gabriel Award–winning cable TV show “Reel Faith” for New Evangelization Television, has appeared frequently on Catholic radio and written for a number of Catholic outlets.
Diocesan Events
A Natural Approach to Fertility Care free webinar sponsored by the diocesan Office of Family life, 7 p.m. on Zoom. Presenter, Dr. Monika Potocki, of the St. Peter’s Gianna Center in New Brunswick will discuss NaPro Technology, an effective and ethical approach to fertility care in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church. To register, please visit https://diometuchen.org/familylife. For questions, please contact Cristina at cdaverso@diometuchen.org.
Quo Vadis Adventure Retreat 2025 for young men ages 14-17 – an opportunity to have fun, grow in faith, and think/pray about where God may be calling you in life. Camp Shiloh, 753 Burnt Meadow Rd, Hewitt. 10 a.m. arrival. To register, and for more information, visit https://diometuchen. org/quovadis.
Hispanic Bible School new cycle begins. Nine basic courses (Introduction to the Sacred Scriptures, Pentateuch, Historical Books, Prophets, Sapiential Literature, Gospels, Pauline Letters, Catholic Letters, Revelation) each one of seven sessions. Cost, $35 per person. Classes run from 7 – 9 p.m. in St. John Neuman Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. For more information and registration visit www.diometuchen.org/taller-de-biblia-introduccion or contact us at Lescobar@diometuchen. og or 732 243 4573
Life-Giving Wounds Retreat for healing for adult children of divorce or separation. Arrive on Aug.22 by 6 p.m. and depart Aug. 24. by 1 p.m. Cost is $315 per person which includes meals and two nights’ accommodations at the San Alfonso Retreat House, 755 Ocean Avenue, Long Branch NJ. Contact cdaverso@diometuchen.org or amarshall@diometuchen.org with any questions. Register at https://diometuchen.org/adult-children-of-divorce.
The Catechetical Accompaniment Process, with Dr. Joseph White, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway. Join fellow PCLs and catechists as Dr. White from OSV explains the latest catechetical standards promulgated by the Institute on the Catechism of the USCCB. Coffee/light breakfast/lunch provided. Mass at 11:45. To register: https:// diometuchen.org/homeschool-ministry.
Catechist Training: Alive in Christ from Our Sunday Visitor, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., doors open at 9:30 a.m. Join Fellow PCLs and catechists as Norma Rothschadl, OSV senior account executive leads practical nuts and bolts training sessions. Coffee/light breakfast/lunch provided. Alive in Christ, 1-8, 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.; Alive in Christ Young Adolescents and Faith Fusion, 12:15 p.m. – 2 p.m. To register: https://diometuchen.org/resources.
Diocesan pilgrimage, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in celebration of Jubilee 2025. The faithful will join Bishop James F. Checchio as they travel to Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of Our Lord. For parish bus trips please email Angela Marshall at amarshall@diometuchen.org or call 732-562-1643.
Women’s Cursillo Weekend. The Metuchen Cursillo Movement will conduct the Women’s Cursillo Weekend at the Blue Army Shrine in Asbury. For information about the Cursillo experience please visit metcursillo.org.
DIOCESAN PROGRAMS
Adoration at Pastoral Center – The faithful are invited to Eucharistic Adoration at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, Monday through Friday, from 9 -11:45 a.m. As Pope St. John Paul II noted. “The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic adoration.” Anyone interested in signing up should contact Angela Marshall at amarshall@diometuchen.org.
Perpetual Adoration - Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament The Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Raritan, is looking for adorers to sit with the Blessed Sacrament Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is also being offered the first Saturday of each month (Night Vigil) from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Anyone interested in signing up should visit https://blessedsacramentshrine.com.
SELLING YOUR HOME?
Willing to buy your home or townhouse in as-is condition. Quick 30 day cash closing. I’m a Licensed realtor in the State of NJ. Eugene “George” Pantozzi 908-392-2677 (call or text) georgepantozzi@hotmail.com
POSITION AVAILABLE DIRECTOR OF SACRED MUSIC/ORGANIST
St. Mary, Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church in South Amboy, N.J. is searching for a full-time Director of Sacred Music. The successful candidate will serve as organist and choir director for (3) weekend Masses, Mass (1) on Holy Days of Obligation and for Holy Week. They will serve as organist (with the possibility also of serving as vocalist) for weddings and funerals to be paid separately from the salary. The Director will be expected to serve as choirmaster for a small adult choir that sings weekly (September-June) as well as a fledgling children’s choir that sings a few times each year. The Director oversees a paid cantor and helps her prepare music if needed. The position requires a candidate with a working knowledge and appreciation of music in all styles from the early Church to the present day. The Director selects music for each Mass.
The successful candidate will possess excellent organ performance skills as they will be making use of a 1883 Jardine and Sons tracker instrument. A very thorough familiarity with the Roman Missal is expected, as well as the understanding and ability to chant from the Gregorian Missal as needed. The position includes benefits and annual vacation time. Salary range is $44,000 - $50,000 (commensurate with experience and education). Kindly send a cover letter with resume and two (2) professional references as well as links to any videos that show organ performance and choral conducting to:
(Rt.) Rev. Guy W. Selvester, Pastor, email: gselvester@gmail.com
St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, 256 Augusta Street, South Amboy, NJ 08879
SURVIVING DIVORCE
“Respect needs to be shown especially for the sufferings of those who have unjustly endured separation, divorce or abandonment” - Pope Francis FOR MEN AND WOMEN SEEKING HEALING FROM SEPARATION OR DIVORCE
8 WEEK PROGRAM, WEDNESDAYS, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
October 1 - November 19, 2025 at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854
This program, while based on the teachings of the Catholic Church, is open to anyone who needs comfort, counsel and clarity after a divorce.
“Surviving Divorce” is an 8 week program, featuring a thirty-minute video session each week, which covers the topics of: shock, denial, anger, grief, guilt, forgiveness, money, children, the courts, the ex-spouse, annulment, dating, sexuality, spirituality, re-marriage or staying single, and much more.
For information or to register contact: Rachelle Hanna at rachelle.hanna@gmail.com Deadline to register September 24, 2025 limited to 12 participants Pre-registration by phone is
Little Servant Sister of the Immaculate Conception Anatolia Kopec
Sister Anatolia Kopec, LSIC, who spent more than 60 years as a dedicated religious in Poland, South Africa, Zambia and the United States, died July 7 at St. Joseph Nursing Home, Woodbridge. She was 89.
Sister Anatolia, baptized Teresa, was born on July 13, 1935 in Wola Rusinowska, Kolbuszowa County, Poland. From her young age she considered joining her older sister, Zofia, (Sister Ryszarda) as a member of the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, but first
worked in the Sisters’ kindergarten in Rymanów, graduated from agricultural technical school in Werynia, and served three years in Koszalin. She entered the LSIC Congregation in Stara Wies in 1957 at age 22; professed her first vows in 1961, and her final vows in 1964.
Sister Anatolia served the community as a culinarian in Krynica, Poland from 1959 to 1966, then in the missions of South Africa from 1966 to 1980. She served at the Mary Immaculate Children’s Center in Lyndhurst, completed
O Most Holy Virgin, immaculate in body and spirit, look kindly on me as I implore your powerful intercession. O most Holy Mother, receive my prayers as I present them to God.
O Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, you intercede for us with your Son. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.
courses in child care and qualified in nursery school education. She also served as the local superior of her community beginning in 1972 while taking English language courses with the Ursuline Sisters in Krugersdorp.
Sister Anatolia next served at the Nunciature in Lusaka, Zambia, from 1980 to 1982, then at Kabwe as local superior and preschool director. While serving as a nursery school teacher in Lusaka, her health led the order to reassign her in 1983 to her order’s American Province and St. Joseph Senior Residence, Woodbridge. She remained at the facility until 2011, serving in various capacities as chapel sacristan, office assistant and as provincial councilor from 1987 to 2011, as well as local superior from 1994 to 2003 and from 2005 to 2011.
In 2011, Sister Anatolia came to the
Provincialate in Cherry Hill, where she assisted at the adjacent Blessed Edmund Early Childhood Center as a teacher’s aide. She then continued in prayer ministry, as a seamstress and wherever help was needed. Earlier this year, illness led to Sister Anatolia’s transfer to the Congregation’s St. Joseph Nursing Home in Woodbridge.
Sister Anatolia is survived by her religious community; her sister, Anna, in Canada, and nieces and nephews in Canada and Poland. A Mass of Christian Burial took place July 11 in St. Joseph’s Assisted Living Chapel, with interment at St. Joseph Cemetery, Blackwood/ Chews Landing. Memorial contributions in Sister Anatolia’s memory may be sent to the Little Servant Sisters Provincialate, 1000 Cropwell Road, Cherry Hill, N.J. 08003.
