Spirit atholic C See our special feature on Catholic scouting on pp. 4,5
THE
THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF METUCHEN
AUGUST 21, 2025 • VOL. 30 NO. 7
OUR
Mother
OUR
Queen
The coronation of Mary in Heaven is depicted in a stained-glass window at Our Lady of Mercy Church, Hicksville, N.Y. The Catholic Church celebrates the Queenship of Mary on Aug. 22. The feast was established by Pope Pius XII with his encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam in 1954. The encyclical focuses on Mary, mother of Jesus as queen of Heaven and earth, and stresses both her unique role in our lives and her powerful intercession. The Diocese is under the patronage of the Queenship of Mary. A recent CARA study has shown that devotion to Mary plays a significant role in discerning and sustain the call to priestly and religious life. Read two interesting articles on the study and its take-aways on pp. 14, 15. —OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz
INSIDE Our Faith
8
Perspectives
16
Movie Review
38
Diocesan Events
39
Celebrate Life
19, 20, 21
Honoring elders, grandparents