JAN2026_Jubille of Hope section

A New Dawn Beckons

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, and officially closed the observance of the Holy Year dedicated to hope. Before the Mass, the Pope, cardinals and bishops present in Rome, including Trenton’s own Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., gathered in the atrium of the basilica and gave thanks to God for the gifts received during the Holy Year. The Pope went to the threshold of the Holy Door and pulled each side shut. The door will be sealed until the next Holy Year, which is likely to be 2033, the 2000th anniversary of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. •

An estimated 33 million visitors and pilgrims came to the Vatican to celebrate the Jubilee Year, exceeding early forecasts, according to Vatican officials. That represents more than 90,000 people a day. Data collected solely from registered pilgrims showed that visitors from the United States ranked second only to Italy, accounting for nearly 13 percent of the total number of registered visitors. Pilgrims from more than 185 countries participated in the Jubilee Year.

Faithful of the Diocese of Trenton joined their counterparts from around the world in observing the Jubilee of Hope – dedicating many parish and diocesan events in 2025 to the Holy Year theme. Pilgrims from the Diocese traveled to Rome in groups, as families and as individuals, to take part in the Jubilee celebrations throughout the year.

Christians must resist allure of power, serve humanity, Pope says at end of Holy Year

BY CAROL GLATZ  Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY • The powerful and violent cannot control, suppress or commodify God’s grace, friendship and will to usher in a new dawn, Pope Leo XIV said.

“Around us, a distorted economy tries to profit from everything. We see how the marketplace can turn human yearnings of seeking, traveling and beginning again into a mere business,” he said, celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Jan. 6, the feast of the Epiphany, and officially closing the celebration of the Holy Year dedicated to hope.

“Let us ask ourselves: has the Jubilee taught us to flee from this type of efficiency that reduces everything to a product and human beings to consumers?” he asked. “After this year, will we be better able to recognize a pilgrim in the visitor, a seeker in the stranger, a neighbor in the foreigner and fellow travelers in those who are different?”

Before the Mass, the Pope, cardinals and bishops present in Rome, gathered in the atrium of the basilica and gave thanks to God for the gifts received during the Holy Year. Dozens of the world’s cardinals were in Rome to attend the Pope’s first extraordinary consistory Jan. 7-8, to pray, support and advise the Pope on the life and mission of the Church.

Pope Leo went to the threshold of the Holy Door and pulled each side shut. The door will be sealed until the next Holy Year, which is likely to be 2033, the 2000th anniversary of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

While the last of the Holy Doors in the city was closing, “the gate of God’s mercy will never be shut,” Pope Leo said before shutting the door. God “will always sustain the weary, raise up those who have fallen” and offer “good things” to those who place their trust in him.

 “After this year, will we be better able to recognize a pilgrim in the visitor ...?” Pope Leo XIV

In his homily, Pope Leo compared the millions of men and women who came to Rome on pilgrimage to modern-day Magi, “who left palace and temple behind” in search of a new “king,” which they found in the baby Jesus in a humble grotto in Bethlehem.

“Yes, the Magi still exist today. They are the people who sense the need to go out and search, accepting the risks associated with their journey, especially in a troubled world like ours that may be unpleasant and dangerous in many ways,” he said.

However, Pope Leo cautioned, today’s seekers must encounter in today’s churches and sacred places the same

humble source of life, hope and joy that the Magi encountered in Bethlehem.

“How important it is that those who pass through the doors of the church perceive therein that the Messiah has just been born, that a community gathers in which hope springs forth and that a story of life is unfolding!” he said.

“Jesus encountered and allowed himself to be approached by all people,” he said, because “the Lord wants his presence to grow among us as God-with-us.”

our Church? Is there space for something new to be born? Do we love and proclaim a God who sets us on a journey?” Pope Leo asked.

“No one can sell this to us. The child whom the Magi adore is a priceless and immeasurable good,” the Pope said, criticizing “a distorted economy,” which even tries to exploit and commodify the human desire for freedom and true fulfillment.

God revealing himself to humanity as man is “a gift,” Pope Leo said. “He reveals himself and lets himself be found.”

“His ways are not our ways, and the violent do not succeed in controlling them, nor can the powers of the world block them,” he said, recalling the great joy the Magi felt upon finding the Messiah and despite Herod’s efforts to destroy what had been promised.

The fear and violence unleashed by King Herod “make us think of the many conflicts by which people resist and even damage the new things that God has in store for everyone,” he said. “Loving and seeking peace means protecting what is holy and, consequently, that which is newly born like a small, vulnerable, fragile baby.”

“God challenges the existing order,” the Pope said. “God is determined to rescue us from both old and new forms of slavery. He involves young and old, poor and rich, men and women, saints and sinners in his works of mercy and in the wonders of his justice.”

“Let us ask ourselves: is there life in

“Fear does indeed blind us.

Conversely, the joy of the Gospel liberates us. It makes us prudent, yes, but also bold, attentive and creative; it beckons us along ways that are different from those already traveled,” he said.

“It is wonderful to become pilgrims of hope,” who journey together and are amazed by God’s faithfulness, he said.

“If we do not reduce our churches to monuments, if our communities are homes, if we stand united and resist the flattery and seduction of those in power, then we will be the generation of a new dawn,” he said. In Jesus, “we will contemplate and serve an extraordinary humanity, transformed not by the delusions of the all-powerful, but by God who became flesh out of love.”

Outside on a cold, rainy winter morning, St. Peter’s Square was filled with thousands of people watching the Mass on big screens and awaiting the Pope to recite the Angelus at noon.

Hundreds of people dressed in traditional and festive costumes took part in an annual folkloric Epiphany procession along the main boulevard in front of the basilica. Marching bands and people in Renaissance costumes paraded up the street behind the Three Kings on horseback.

Before reciting the Angelus from the balcony of the basilica’s loggia, the Pope prayed that God’s words “come to fulfillment in us, may strangers and enemies become brothers and sisters.”

“In the place of inequality, may there be fairness, and may the industry of war be replaced by the craft of peace,” he said. “As weavers of hope, let us journey together toward the future by another road.”

In extraordinary experience, Bishop, Diocese’s pilgrims close out Jubilee Year in Rome

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and individuals from the Diocese who traveled to Rome to witness the closing of the Jubilee Year 2025 enjoyed many joyful and memorable experiences throughout their Jan. 1-9 visit.

But on Jan. 7, their attendance at Pope Leo XIV’s General Audience went beyond what any of them had imagined.

Bishop O’Connell recalled one pilgrim’s description of the day as a “thrill of a lifetime,” but there were, in fact, many extraordinary experiences, he said.

For starters, Bishop O’Connell was delighted to be among the cardinals and bishops who were seated on the dais in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall that was positioned very close to the Pope’s chair and from where the Holy Father gave his address. At the conclusion of the Pope’s talk, the prelates were able to individually greet him.

Bishop O’Connell had been able to arrange for reserved seating in the hall where members of the Trenton group had the chance to personally meet the Holy Father. The Bishop reported that the Diocese’s pilgrims had a “very joyful exchange” with Pope Leo.

“He shook hands and spoke with every one of our group gathered there,” Bishop O’Connell said.

Among those from the Trenton

Diocese who shared this experience with Pope Leo was young Tom Wieczerzak, a third grader in St. James School, Red Bank, who was in Rome with his family. Although they were not part of the diocesan pilgrimage, the Wieczerzaks, including Tom’s father, Deacon Thomas and mother, Diana, caught up with Bishop O’Connell and participated in the general audience.

 “You may wear this one day, but you must become a priest first.”

Pope Leo XIV

Bishop O’Connell related that the Holy Father handed the youngster a white zucchetto (skull cap), similar to what the Pope wears, and said, “You may wear this one day, but you must become a priest first.”

In the days prior to Jan. 7, the Trenton pilgrims enjoyed many highlights during their visit to the Eternal City: celebrating Mass in all the major basilicas: St. Paul’s Outside the Walls; St. Mary Major; St. John Lateran, and St. Peter’s at the Vatican.

Reflecting on his observance of the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord at

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Bishop O’Connell and priests of the Diocese were happy to concelebrate Mass with priests from other parts of the world in

Bishop O’Connell and Msgr. Gervasio visit with members of the Religious Teachers Filippini residing in their community’s General House in Rome. Pictured third from right is Sister Ascenza Tizzano, general superior, who had close ties to New Jersey including serving as provincial superior for the St. Lucy Province in Morristown.

Bishop O’Connell and priests of the Diocese of Trenton gather for a group photo after celebrating Mass in St. Benedict Chapel inside St. Paul’s Outside the Walls Basilica on the first day of their pilgrimage to Rome. Also pictured are diocesan staffers Grace Magee, administrative assistant to the Bishop and the vicar general, bottom left, and Carolyn Norbut, director of pilgrimages, top right.

Time of grace and blessings

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the Vatican, where the feast is celebrated on Jan. 6, Bishop O’Connell said it was a “glorious and inspiring occasion.”

Concelebrating the Epiphany Mass with Pope Leo made the observance particularly poignant for the Bishop, along with Msgr. Thomas Gervasio, diocesan vicar general and pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, and Father Jean Felicien, the Bishop’s priest-secretary.

Msgr. Thomas Gervasio, diocesan vicar general, left, served as principal celebrant of a Mass in St. Peter’s Abbey in Assisi. Here Msgr. Gervasio is joined by Father Joy Chacko, parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish, Bay Head, and St. Pio ofPietrelcina Parish, Lavallette. The abbey is run by the Benedictine sisters.

Joseph Rosie,

pastor of St. James

and episcopal vicar of Monmouth County, enjoys visiting various sites in Rome with Grace Magee, executive administrative assistant, Office of the Bishop and administrative assistant, Office of the Vicar General, center, and Carolyn Norbut, diocesan director of pilgrimages.

“Msgr. Gervasio, Father Jean and I were privileged to join the Holy Father and concelebrate Mass with him,” Bishop O’Connell said. “It was my first opportunity to be in his presence with hundreds of other priests, bishops and cardinals.”

The Bishop noted that the cardinals of the world were in town for a consistory meeting with the Holy Father Jan. 7-8. Other pilgrimage highlights for Bishop O’Connell, his brother priests and two diocesan Chancery staff included traveling to Assisi on Jan. 4 where Bishop O’Connell visited the tomb of St. Carlo Acutis, who was canonized a saint in October. On Jan. 8, they went to Castel Gandolfo, the Holy Father’s summer residence, where they enjoyed touring the residence and seeing the Holy Father’s office and bedroom. While in Castel Gandolfo, the Bishop and priests concelebrated a Mass in the parish church of St. Thomas of Villanova.

Tom Wieczerzak, a third grader in St. James Parish, Red Bank, had an opportunity to meet Pope Leo XIV following the Pope’s Jan. 7 general audience. The Holy Father handed the youngster a white zucchetto, saying that he too could become Pope one day but would need to become a priest first. Tom is the son of Deacon Thomas and Diana Wieczerzak.

A Jubilee Year holy door was created in the parish center of St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, during the summer religious education program where some 750 young people learned about their Catholic faith. Facebook photo

‘Hope in All Things’

Feeding the hungry was a main focus of the Jubilee Year in St. Benedict Parish and School, Holmdel. The parish’s St. Vincent de Paul food pantry hosted extra food drives and with which area Girl Scouts were invited to assist and the school’s STEM teacher created a large harvest in the school garden and was able to donate more than 50 bags of fresh vegetables to the food pantry. Courtesy photo

Diocese had a busy, but hopeful Jubilee Year 2025

BY MARY STADNYK  Associate Editor

The Diocese of Trenton marked the closing of Jubilee Year 2025 when Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., signed the Decree of Conclusion Jan. 6, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord – the same day Pope Leo XIV closed the Holy Door at the Vatican.

“As Bishop, I decree that the Diocese of Trenton will simultaneously conclude its observance of the Holy Year 2025 on that same date and Solemnity, thanking God for all the graces and blessings he has bestowed on the universal and local Church throughout the Holy Year 2025,” Bishop O’Connell said.

Much has happened since May 2024 when Pope Francis proclaimed the Jubilee Year as a time for the faithful to rediscover, proclaim and build hope. The Jubilee officially opened on Christmas Eve when the Holy Father officially entered the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. The Holy Father had also asked the world’s bishops to celebrate the opening of the Jubilee with special Masses the weekend after the year’s official opening. Bishop O’Connell opened the Jubilee Year with the celebration of Masses in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, Dec. 28, 2024, and St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, Dec. 29.

 “[thank] God...(include rest of what is highlighted on left.”

Bishop O’Connell

The Masses began with the Rite of the Opening of the Jubilee Year with the Bishop standing near the doors leading into the churches and from where he read a section of the Jubilee Decree, “Spes Non Confundit” (“Hope does not disappoint”). At the Cathedral, the Bishop and other clergy and ministers who were serving the Mass began the Rite in the gathering space. At the Co-Cathedral, the entire congregation was invited to join the Bishop on the outdoor plaza to witness the Rite and then process into church. Once inside, the Bishop went to the baptismal fonts where he read a prayer then led the congregation in the renewal of their baptismal promises. The congregation was then sprinkled with holy water.

PILGRIMAGE CHURCHES EMBRACE ROLE

Part of the Diocese’s Jubilee observance included Bishop O’Connell designating a pilgrimage church in each county where visitors could obtain Jubilee indulgences after reciting special prayers, going to Confession and receiving Holy Communion. The churches were St. Joan of Arc, Marlton, Burlington County; St. Anthony, Hamilton, Mercer County; Our Lady Star of the Sea, Long Branch, Monmouth County, and St.

Prior to the start of the Dec. 28, 2024 Mass, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., stands in the narthex of St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, and reads a portion of the papal bull as he declares the start of the Jubilee Year 2025 in the Diocese. Mike Ehrmann photo

Mary, Barnegat, Ocean County.

Msgr. Kenard Tuzeneu noted the privilege it was for St. Mary Parish, Barnegat, where he is pastor, to serve as a pilgrimage site and welcome visitors that were mostly individuals who wanted to receive an indulgence.

One Jubilee event was Miracle Mondays. It was held on the last Monday of each month with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament available “in a unique way,” he said. He explained that the monstrance was placed on a small altar on the floor in front of the main altar. Special lighting focused on the Blessed Sacrament and sacred music softly played. People were invited to kneel and pray, perhaps write a petition then place a candle

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Middletown parish participates in Jubilee Choir liturgy in Rome

BY CHRISTINA LESLIE  Correspondent

“Iamstill floating on a blanket of heaven,” declared Malena Towers, director of music ministry for St. Mary Parish, Middletown, as she reflected upon her choir’s pilgrimage to Rome Nov. 16-24 during the Jubilee Year of Hope.

Towers, along with about 50 others, travelled to the Holy City to participate in the Jubilee of Choirs Nov. 22-23, a major musical event held every 25 years where music ministers gather to sing at the Vatican for a special Mass celebrated by the Pope.

 “We understand our heritage from this experience.” Malena Towers

The timing was perfect: pastor Father Jeffrey Kegley had considered hosting a parish pilgrimage for the Holy Year and schedules were synced. Towers registered for the liturgical event and invited her fellow musicians to join her for the oncein-a-lifetime opportunity. To prepare for the event, Church organizers in Rome sent the group sheet music to learn the official hymn in English and Italian, as well as Mass settings in Latin.

About half of the parish’s choir members made the journey, and the addition of family members, friends, and other parishioners supplemented the group to fill a 50-person bus bound for historic and spiritual sites.

Towers and the parish family of St. Mary experienced a spiritual booster shot as they toured Italy, walking where so many saints had trod. Highlights included visits to Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis and St. Clare; the Santuario Della Spogliazione, the site of St.

Carlo Acutis’ tomb; Siena, the birthplace of St. Catherine and St. Bernardine; the Marian shrine of Loreto where Mary first prayed the Magnificat; San Giovanni Rotondo, where St. Pio of Pietrelcina lived for many years, and the Eternal City of Rome. At each church and basilica, Father Kegley celebrated Mass and delivered prayerful homilies (which were recorded and will soon be available on the parish website.)

“We played music from my keyboard, which I carried with me, or the church’s organ,” Towers recalled. “We sang the pilgrimage hymn every place we went, and it was so beautiful.”

The musical highlight of the trip was the Jubilee Choir liturgy. “There were people from all over the world,” Towers said with awe, noting the presence of musicians from Asia and Africa, as well

as choirs from Florida and Boston. “The Holy Father gave such a beautiful speech and blessing; later, we got copies of the translated speech, but since my first language is Spanish, I was able to figure out what he was saying in Italian.”

A bit of Jersey moxie found its way into the encounter with the pontiff; Towers said with a chuckle, “We were able to give a new St. Mary’s Music Ministry Choir T-shirt to Pope Leo when he was driving around the choirs and blessing them.”

“My hope is that this will create a precedent, to strengthen sacred music in the tri-state area and the Diocese of Trenton, to show beauty and the story of God,” Towers said. “We understand our heritage from this experience, and it was a once in a lifetime transformative event for many people.”

Burlington family realizes dream to pass through Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica

Mother encourages other families to travel with special needs children

BY ELIZABETH ZIMAK  Correspondent

For nearly two decades, Leilani Faigao prayed for the opportunity to travel to Italy with her family.

In November 2010, she and her husband, Rod, were married in Venice. Shortly after their wedding, the couple was given the opportunity to tour St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. As they stood at the church’s closed Holy Door, the couple was told it would reopen during the next Jubilee Year in 2025.

“I remember quietly praying and dreaming that one day, we would return — not alone, but with a family,” Leilani said.

Fifteen years later, during the Jubilee Year of Hope, the Faigaos were able to make that dream a reality. This past November, they returned to Italy with their four daughters: Olivia, 13; Lia, 10; Stella, 8, and Ava Hope, 4.

The trip was taken in part to celebrate Rod and Leilani’s wedding anniversary, but the family’s main motivation was to visit all four Holy Doors, which they knew are visible signs of the sacredness of the Jubilee Year. And so they set their minds to visit the Doors in St. Peter’s; San Giovanni in Laterano; Santa Maria Maggiore, and St. Paul Outside the Walls.

“Passing through the Holy Doors as a family was a truly incredible moment,” Leilani remarked. “Being more knowledgeable about our faith than we were 15 years ago and having our children with us made it even more meaningful.”

The family also attended Mass at the Santa Maria dei Miracoli Cathedral in Venice, where Rod and Leilani had been married, as well as Pope Leo XIV’s papal audience on November 24. In addition,

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 “I remember dreaming ... one day we would return.”

Leilani Faigao

Local sisters’ faith deepened through service as Jubilee volunteers

BY KAYLA LATENDRESSE  Correspondent

Meeting volunteers and pilgrims from around the world and even getting a smile and nod from Pope Leo XIV were just some of the highlights two sisters in the Diocese of Trenton will always cherish from their time as Jubilee 2025 volunteers.

As part of a program coordinated by the Jubilee’s Organizational Secretariat, Dina Galeotafiore and Donna Squillaro were among 5,000 volunteers who welcomed more than 33 million pilgrims to Rome for the Holy Year. Both women served in Rome from Nov. 1 to 8. Donna also had volunteered in the same program this past spring.

Their responsibilities ranged from welcoming and guiding groups of faithful along access routes for the papal basilicas and accompanying pilgrims in prayer through the Holy Doors; assisting with security and crowd flow; offering directions and information on the available services, and helping guide groups during papal audiences, Masses and special events.

SPECIAL MEMORIES

Dina recalled working at the Nov. 3 Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, where Pope Leo remembered Pope Francis, cardinals and bishops who died in 2025. She was assigned to the area just inside the main basilica doors.

“I was able to stare fully at the Pieta for moments at a time and take in the beauty and marvel this statue projected,”

Donna Squillaro, left, and Dina Galeotafiore, sisters from the Diocese of Trenton, worked as volunteers for the Jubilee pilgrimage in Rome. Courtesy photos

she said. She understood better why so many visitors she met during the week were eager to view this statue.

While both sisters were assigned one of several security checkpoints for the papal general audience Nov. 5, they were able to leave to see Pope Leo pass through St. Peter’s Square in his popemobile.

“People were calling to him. The roar of the crowd would escalate when he neared. It reminded me of the teachings of Jesus preaching to the crowds. It was exciting and joyful,” Donna said.

Later, while seeing Pope Leo head slowly toward the Swiss Guards, Donna said, “I gave him a shout out and he turned toward me, I believe, recognizing I was an American, and gave me a huge smile and nod.”

AN EXTENSION OF FAITH

For both sisters, the volunteer experience opened another dimension of the Catholic faith they have shared throughout their personal and parish lives.

Donna has been a member of Holy Innocents Parish, Neptune, since 2001. She has taught parish religious education, served as a Eucharistic minister

and worked with the St. Vincent DePaul Society. Married to her husband Anthony for almost 40 years, she is a mother of three grown children and grandmother to five grandchildren. Recently retired as a culinary arts instructor, she continues her ministry by cooking for families in need.

 “It reminded me of the teachings of Jesus preaching to the crowds.” Donna Squillaro

As a member of St. Dominic Parish, Brick, since 1988, Dina has served as a Eucharistic minister for more than 20 years and as an active member of the Myriam Ministry, a women’s group who work to develop parish life and help those in need. She also has served as an adult coordinator of the parish’s youth ministry and she currently teaches sixth grade religious education in St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Long Beach Island.

Dina recently celebrated 40 years of marriage with her husband Michael, and they are proud parents to four grown children, (who attended St. Dominic

School), and four grandchildren. Since retiring as a human resources professional in 2023, she has dedicated much time to faith-based activities and helping to care for her grandchildren.

postal workers, former bankers, and members of security details for former popes.

FAMILY PILGRIMAGE

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“My Catholic faith is the most wonderful gift bestowed on me by my parents,” Dina said. “It has always been the anchor in my life.”

To volunteer for the Jubilee, they had to apply through the Vatican and pay their own transportation to Rome. The Vatican provided meals and lodging.

Living in dormitory-style volunteer housing, they met fellow volunteers from around the world, whom they now consider friends, including their roommate from Malaysia.

“She was a delight, and we enjoyed getting to know her,” said Dina.

Donna met students and teachers from Germany and Spain, health care workers from England, the Philippines, and southern United States, engineers,

They were able to bond over their shared belief in Christ, she said.

The sisters quickly learned who spoke what language. “It was very helpful when we were working and approached by a pilgrim who didn’t speak English,” said Dina. The English-speaking volunteers would signal a colleague who could help with the language being spoken.

FEELING RENEWED

The two women were profoundly impacted by their interaction with the pilgrims.

“You could see on the faces of the pilgrims what this experience meant to them. My faith was renewed through witnessing this,” said Dina.

On a daily basis, the pair encountered thousands of pilgrims from all walks of life and locations around the world. They met religious men and women, clergy and families and individuals with disabilities. Dina particularly recalled meeting newlyweds who came to participate in the Jubilee.

The gift of this journey continues for the sisters. Donna returned to Rome for the closing of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica and was invited to a private “thank you” audience led by Pope Leo XIV Jan. 10. Donna also found herself at the same Epiphany Mass concelebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., during the Diocese’s current pilgrimage. Dina planned to connect with events online.

But the impact will last far beyond the close of the Holy Year. To them, the Jubilee offers hope for what is to come.

“Pope Francis proposed that this Jubilee offer us an opportunity to recover the joy of living and restore in us a real belief that we are not alone in our struggles,” expressed Dina.

they viewed famous Italian landmarks, such as the Colosseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

“The focus of our trip was to complete the Jubilee Doors,” Leilani said. “Everything else was a ‘bonus’ from God.”

For the Faigaos, who reside in Burlington, the Rome pilgrimage was a cherished new facet of their family’s robust practice of the faith. “Our family prayer routine became stronger during Covid,” Leilani said. “We have a daily non-negotiable prayer time, and Sundays are reserved for church and family activities.”

The family attends Sacred Heart Parish in Mount Holly and are actively involved in parish life – Rod serves as a catechist and a Knight of Columbus, while Leilani is a member of the female Knights of Columbus group, the Columbiettes. Outside of church, Rod works as a business analyst while Leilani serves as a stay-at-home mom.

In 2021, Rod and Leilani’s faith was strengthened with the arrival of their youngest daughter, Ava Hope, who was born with Down syndrome and a host of other significant special needs. At four months old, surgery was performed on her heart and was followed by a lengthy hospital stay. Leilani gives thanks to God that Ava is no longer on a feeding tube and has made tremendous progress in recent years.

“Looking back, I feel like God was preparing her for this trip,” Leilani said.

The Faigaos cleared the Italy trip with Ava’s doctors first before making any travel arrangements. Leilani was grateful for the many resources provided to the family throughout their journey, such as wheelchair access for their daughter while in the airport. She believes that, with some adjustments, families of special needs children are more than capable of traveling.

“These boys and girls are children of God, and they deserve to see Italy too,” Leilani said, also recommending that special needs parents reach out to their local parishes for support. “There’s always help; don’t be afraid to ask.”

they

volunteering.

“My Catholic faith has been spirited by the Jubilee Year,” Donna added. “Learning about what it represents – the renewal of hope and faith – has strengthened my love for God and my Catholic beliefs.”

Reflecting back on the family’s journey, all Leilani could express was gratitude.

“When our family walked through the Jubilee Door at St. Peter’s, my heart was so full,” she said. “God is so good – he fulfilled our dream.”

Parish pilgrimage serves to ‘build connections’ while celebrating Jubilee Year, 140th anniversary

BY ROSE O’CONNOR  Digital and Social Media Manager

Accompanied by their parish priests, 53 pilgrims from St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, traveled to Italy in mid-November on a journey that took them from Milan to Rome.

The pilgrimage was led by Father Oscar Sumanga, pastor; Father Arian Wharff, parochial vicar; and Deacon Joseph Sbarra. The pilgrim group also included parishioners and guests invited by friends.

“We organized this spiritual event

to mark two significant occasions: the conclusion of the 140th anniversary celebration of the founding of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, and to participate in the universal Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope,” Father Wharff shared.

The group visited several holy sites across Italy, traveling from Milan to Rome. Stops in the itinerary included the Duomo in Milan, the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice and points of interest in Florence. In Rome, the pilgrims visited St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Mary Major and the Vatican, as well as making a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Padre Pio.

Visiting St. Anthony’s Basilica in Padua was especially meaningful for those on the journey, and for Father Wharff, who recalled childhood memories of an aunt whose devotion to the saint helped shape his own faith.

“Being there connected me immediately to the roots of my faith,” he said.

 “It gave us great hope for the future ...”

Father Arian Wharff

Several parishioners also described feeling a deep spiritual connection while praying at the saint’s burial site. “It was moving to speak with our parishioners, many of whom felt a profound connection at the saint’s burial place, feeling as if it were our spiritual home,” Father Wharff said.

Another highlight came during a general Papal audience at the Vatican, where the group was among the first to see Pope Leo XIV pass through St. Peter’s Square. For many, it was their first visit to the Vatican.

“Looking out at St. Peter’s Square, filled with people from around the world – speaking different languages and seeing young people holding their country’s flags – was an experience of pure joy and the universality of the Roman Catholic Church,” Father Wharff continued. “It gave us great hope for the future to see how faith brings meaning to so many lives.”

Father Wharff reflected that seeing pilgrims gathered from around the world underscored the universality of the Catholic Church and the responsibility of spiritual leaders to foster unity.

“We must strive to use faith to build bridges and connections, rather than separations.”

DIOCESE JUBILEE YEAR

Continued from 15 by the altar. Each month drew about 100 visitors.

“It was very moving to witness people lined up, waiting their turn to spend a few moments directly with Jesus,” Msgr. Tuzeneu said.

With St. Anthony Church serving as a pilgrimage parish for Mercer County, Msgr. Thomas Gervasio, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, said there were visitors from other county parishes who participated in offerings that included a monthly sung evening prayer. Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was held on the first Thursday of the month with the Sacrament of Reconciliation being made available.

Additional events included a three-day Jubilee cohort mission led by Dominican Father William Garrott; and during Lent, guest priests were invited to celebrate a weekly evening Mass.

There were about 250 visitors to Marlton’s St. Joan of Arc Parish, according to Sue Ann Jeral, pastoral minister of adult faith formation.

One activity the parish’s Jubilee committee developed was to create parish passports to highlight the various events held during the year that included weekly Adoration and as well as on the first Fridays of each month; a prayer service for migrants and refugees, and presentations by speakers on topics relating to hope.

“It was an honor and privilege to journey with pilgrims of hope throughout our Diocese,” she said.

Bishop O’Connell signed a papal bull of conclusion of the Holy Year to mark the closing of the Jubilee Year of Hope. Staff photo

The Diocese dedicated many events to the Jubilee Year and its theme of hope. Among them were the Jubilee Pilgrimage of Hope, a daylong event at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Doylestown, Pa., Sept. 13. Pilgrimage. In August, the diocesan Holy Innocents Society’s annual workshop for people with disabilities had the theme “Walking Together in Hope.” The bilingual parish ministry conference held in March had as its theme “Hope in Our Hearts.”

In response to Pope Francis’ call to include a celebration of police members of law enforcement and first responders during the Jubilee Year, on April 1, the Diocese celebrated a special Mass for those who work to keep safe their communities throughout central New Jersey.

POINTING TO HOPE IN PARISHES, SCHOOLS

Parishes and schools around the Diocese bustled with Jubilee-related events that centered on the official theme: Pilgrims of Hope.

St. Benedict Parish and School, Holmdel, as one example, expanded its efforts to feed the hungry. There were parishes that adjusted their schedules to offer more opportunities for Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament or offered speaker presentations and more time for parishioners to gather in prayer.

Parish religious education programs, such as Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony, also held activities to teach their young people about the Jubilee. Mariyam Francis, parish catechetical leader, noted one activity was creating a Holy Door, where students could walk through it every week “while reflecting on God’s mercy and forgiveness.” Along with learning about the significance of the Jubilee Year and the Holy Door, she said students designed a poster expressing what the Jubilee meant to them.

As pilgrimages are an essential element of a holy year, some parishes and institutions offered pilgrimages to Rome. Among them were St. Mary, Middletown, whose parish choir was actively involved in its pilgrimage. At Aquinas Institute at Princeton University, Father Zack Swantek, Catholic chaplain, led a pilgrimage for 16 seniors and thee was also a student retreat themed “Hope Does Not Disappoint” that included reflections on the biblical roots of the Jubilee Year and considered how its call to hope, renewal and mercy can be lived concretely in student life as pilgrims of hope.