“On the next day, when the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him and cried out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord …’”
May your Holy Week be blessed! ~ Catholic Spirit staff Brady Leavell photo/Unsplash
Dear brothers and sisters,
Before we get to Holy Week, please allow me to invoke Christmas one last time. Weird, I know, but I promise I have a reason.
Do you remember the Andy Williams song, “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?” It’s one of my December favorites. You might also remember when it made a humorous comeback a few years ago in a commercial for Staples Office Supplies. Watching that jubilant parent fill a shopping cart with pencils and notebooks for Back to School, much to the dismay of two obviously downcast children about to begin a new school year, made me laugh out loud (and still does when the commercial gets replayed).
Each year when we approach Holy Week and Easter, that’s the song title that goes through my head. It really is a “wonderful time of the year” for many reasons. First and foremost, it is wondrous for what waits for us at the end of the Lenten Season. Easter Sunday is the most important feast day we have as Catholics, when we commemorate Jesus Christ risen from the dead! Think of that morning. Everything changed when Our Blessed Lord’s feet stepped out of the tomb.
Though it may not have seemed like it at times, Lent really does seem to go quickly. We focused on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, promising the Lord we would use those three things as means to draw closer to Christ. As Holy Week comes to an end, we realize Lent is really more about finishing the whole race than beating everyone to the Finish Line. If you fell (which for me is more like “when I fall”), did you pick yourself up and keep trying? Even in ordinary races, the most interesting stories tend to be about those who finished the race even with scrapes or muscle cramps.
Palm Sunday lines us up for Holy Week, like an airplane lines itself up to land on a runway that’s still miles and miles away. While remembering Our
Lord’s entry into Jerusalem with the wonderful tactile of smooth green palm branches, we “place our tray tables up and sit up straight in our seats” to prepare for our spiritual landing by listening to what’s going to happen during the Triduum in a few days.
Here, let me mention the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week. Monday gives us Mary’s deep love for Jesus in anointing his feet, and hopefully all of us have used Lent to love our Lord deeper. But then Tuesday and Wednesday give us Judas’ plan to betray Jesus, and that reveals to us a side of us we may not like to think about.
Hopefully we have used Lent to, as one of the Ash Wednesday formulas charges, “Turn away from sin.” But as we all read back on the First Sunday of Lent, the Devil persists in tempting us, even if it means “waiting for a time” to launch a new attack. Here I should also mention the Chrism Mass of our Diocese, which will take place on Tuesday afternoon, 4 p.m. at the Cathedral. Consider coming to this beautiful liturgy where the priests of our Diocese recommit themselves to the vows they made on their Ordination day, and the Holy Oils used for the next year are blessed.
I like to tell people the Easter Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the start of Easter on Holy Saturday are better understood as one three-day event with breaks for food and sleep, rather than three separate events. Much has been written about them (and my space in this column is running short). Let me sum it up, albeit imperfectly, with three words: Sustinence (the gift of the Eucharist), Absence (the death of Jesus on Good Friday), and Presence (the Resurrection on Easter).
I hope you have had a good Lent. I hope you’ve learned something about yourself and drawn closer to the Lord. I pray you and your loved ones celebrate Easter with true joy (and more than a few baked goodies, jellybeans, and chocolate). Remember, it’s not just a day, but an Octave that leads into a seven-week season. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Finally, may I ask you use some of your time at Easter Mass to pray for Pope Leo and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten and inspire him in his choice for our next Bishop of Metuchen.
“Here I should also mention THE CHRISM MASS of our Diocese, which will take place on Tuesday afternoon, 4 p.m. at the Cathedral. Consider coming to this beautiful liturgy where the priests of our Diocese recommit themselves to the vows they made on their Ordination day, and the Holy Oils used for the next year are blessed.”
of three, was inaugurated Feb. 20, 2026. —OSV News photo/Courtney
How to report abuse If you were sexually abused by a member of the clergy or anyone representing the Catholic Church, or you know of someone who was, you are encouraged to report that abuse to local law enforcement, the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency at 1-877-NJ ABUSE (652-2873) or 1-800-835-5510 (TTY/TDD for the deaf), and also the Diocesan Response Officer at (908) 930-4558 (24 hours/7 days a week).
Diocesan seminarian, Jacob Dylan Miller, pictured, at top front row, fifth from left, received the Ministry of Acolyte March 1, conferred by Archbishop Samuele Sangalli, Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at the Pontifical North American College, Vatican City State. Bottom photo, Archbishop Sangalli places the paten with hosts for the celebration of Mass in the candidate’s hands, saying, “Make your life worthy of your service at the table of the Lord.”
On March 1, 2026, His Excellency, Archbishop Samuele Sangalli, Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, conferred the Ministry of Acolyte in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at the Pontifical North American College, Vatican City State, on 33 seminarians, among them Jacob Dylan Miller, from the Diocese of Metuchen.
In his homily on the Second Sunday of Lent, when the Installation of the Ministry of Acolyte took place, Archbishop Sangalli preached on the Gospel passage of Matthew 17:1-9: “As Jesus brought the disciples to the high mountain to witness His transfiguration as a beloved Son, he has brought you to Rome to be transfigured by His glory that is revealed in you as beloved Sons.”
Archbishop Sangalli continued to address those who would be receiving the Ministry of Acolyte and encouraged them to live out the Gospel by evangelizing through the example of their lives: “Remember that it is the Lord who has chosen you for this ministry to serve at His altar, and you are called to respond by giving of yourself completely in service of His body and blood.” He went on to exhort those who were to be installed as Acolytes, “Give of yourselves as bread to the Church as Jesus gave of himself as bread for the world. The portion that has been given to you, is to be shared with others.”
In the rite of the Institution of Acolyte, Archbishop Sangalli placed the paten, which contains the hosts for the celebration of Mass, in the hands of each candidate. He then said, “Take this vessel with bread for the celebration of the Eucharist. Make your life worthy of your service at the table of the Lord and of His Church.”
The seminarians, currently in their second year of formation at the College, have two additional years of theological studies before being ordained to the priesthood in their home dioceses.
The Pontifical North American College serves as the American seminary in Rome. Founded in 1859 by Blessed Pius IX, the College has formed over 5,000 priests in the heart of the Church for service in dioceses around the United States and Australia. The College strengthens the bonds between Rome and local Churches worldwide, and it allows its students a first-hand encounter of the Church’s rich religious and cultural heritage.
Faith-filled young men and women who eagerly and joyfully offered their time, talent and treasure in abundance sat amongst proud family and friends March 7 in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, during the annual St. Timothy and St. Teresa Awards presentation sponsored by the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.
By Christina Leslie Contributing Editor
Father Jonathan S. Toborowsky, diocesan administrator, served as principal celebrant and homilist of the ceremony, with Father Timothy Eck, director of the Office of Divine Worship, as concelebrant.
Each award recipient had been nominated by their pastors, principals, catechetical leaders and youth ministers for the ways they exhibited Christian leadership in their parish, school or community settings. Jay Donofrio, director of the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, called the annual event “truly inspiring to see how many young people in our Diocese follow Jesus Christ and live out His Gospel.”
Father Toborowsky offered both
gratitude and encouragement to the teens in his homily, saying, “We are grateful for the deeds you have done to allow the Gospel of God to be spread, and the eyes and heart of Jesus to be felt in all the parishes and all the schools and every place you go.”
He continued, “Mother Teresa said she was but a pencil in the hands of God, while the Venerable Fulton Sheen added, ‘the pencil was not useful unless it is doing what the writer wants.’ You are there making the Gospel known.”
The priest advised the youth to use their time on earth well, advising they “ask God how to bring Him into school and work and sports and friends, even scrolling the internet. Think how to bring the Lord into these moments, as you assist at Mass, school, tutoring and campus ministry.”
He concluded, “Thank you for your goodness. Thank you for what you have done, what you do now, and ask God to be with you as you continue the work. You are the pencil in the hand of God.”
Donofrio called the names of the 62 St. Timothy award winners; one by one, the teen received a crucifix from Father Toborowsky and Jennifer Ruggiero, secretary for the Secretariat for Family and Pastoral Life, as proud parents held cellphones aloft.
Thirteen of the St. Timothy award winners were bestowed with an additional honor: the St. Teresa of Calcutta Award and a rosary. Those high school seniors had been selected for adhering to the saint’s example as witness to the faith and demonstration of Christian charity in service to the poor, lonely, sick and homeless.
The 2026 St. Teresa of Calcutta Award winners are Sarah Algier, Mount St. Mary Academy, Watchung; Aidan Anonuevo, Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish, Middlesex; Paige Cleary, Sacred Heart Parish, South Amboy; Joseph Cummins, Immaculata High School, Somerville; Charles Evers, St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Pittstown; Madison Ko, Our Lady of Mercy, South Bound Brook; Wyatt Kovacs, St. Joseph High School, Metuchen; Evelyn Magee, Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen; Lucia Merendino, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Edison; Leahana Ortiz, St. Matthew the Apostle Parish, Edison; Magdalyn Pilny, Sts. Peter and Paul, Great Meadows; Justin Trivino, Our Lady of Victories Parish, Sayreville, and Angela Wyka, St. Matthias Parish, Somerset.
1: Diocesan Administrator Father Jonathan Toborowsky, was principal celebrant of a prayer service and awards ceremony March 7 in the Cathedral that commended the good works of 62 teens from throughout the four counties of the Metuchen Diocese.
2: The young men and women stood as Father Toborowsky blessed the crucifixes they were gifted as symbols of their leadership in their parishes, schools and communities.
3: The 2026 group of St. Timothy award winners pose for a gaggle of proud parents and catechists.
4: On right, Jay Donofrio, director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, shares a smile with Father Timothy Eck, director of the Office of Divine Worship, at the ceremony.
5: Two St. Timothy awards recipients from St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Pittstown, flank Father Toborowsky: Charles Evers (L) and Sadie Erling (R). Evers was one of 13 teens to also receive the St. Teresa of Calcutta award. —Hal Brown photos
Blessed Sacrament, Martinsville Charlotte Ribeiro
Blessed Sacrament, Martinsville Rebecca Ribeiro
Church of the Sacred Heart, So. Plainfield Richard Adenau
Mount St. Mary Academy, Watchung:
Sarah Algier has demonstrated Christian values in her many leadership roles: as a Campus Peer Minister, through her work in H.O.P.E. Club and Women’s Empowerment Club, as a volunteer at the NJ Menlo Park Veterans Home, and as the Student Council Executive Board Vice President. Her welcoming spirit, thoughtful compassion, and determination to help others bears witness to her strong faith foundation.
Through service to others such as acting as junior assistant scoutmaster, serving as a sacristan at her parish, and volunteering as an EMT, Kelsey Quane uses her gifts and talents to make Christ’s love real to those who are in need. Her kindness and integrity make her a role model to those younger than her and her peers.
St. Catherine of Siena, Pittstown:
Sadie Erling and Charlie Evers have been foundational to the rebirth and success of the youth group. Both have shown up consistently with heart and leadership. Charlie has been my rock – practical, dependable, and always ready to lend a hand. Smiling Sadie brings a huge heart and deep faith that inspires everyone around her. Together they’ve served on mission trips to Appalachia, worked with the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, and helped with every aspect of preparing and running youth activities. The true virtue they share is steadfastness: they show up, they serve, and they lead by example.
James School/Religious Education, Woodbridge:
Lucy Bergquist continues to foster her faith at Mother Seton High School by her participation at monthly school Masses in their choir. She has volunteered at the SONshine Summer Camp and is a member of Towards Boundless Charity, a program sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth which engages high school students in ministry projects. Corey Pikula represents a mature, responsible, kind-hearted young man who yearly volunteers to assist the students in the religious education program. He is a great role model for the students who always has a smile on his face and is willing to assist in whatever task we ask of him.
Continues on page 18
Church of the Sacred Heart, So. Plainfield Steffen Hettiarachchi
Immaculata High School, Somerville Joseph Cummins
• Immaculata High School, Somerville Chloe Polk
Mary, Mother of God, Hillsborough Gabriel Luna
Mary, Mother of God, Hillsborough James Stafford
Mount Saint Mary Academy, Watchung Sarah Algier
• Mount Saint Mary Academy, Watchung Kelsey Quane
Our Lady of Mercy, South Bound Brook Madison Ko
Our Lady of Mercy, South Bound Brook Gina Park
•
Our Lady of Mount Virgin, Middlesex Brieana Wergland
Our Lady of Mount Virgin, Middlesex Aidan Anonuevo
•
Our Lady of the Mount, Warren Deanna Casador Gomes
Our Lady of the Mount, Warren Julianna Santos
Our Lady of Victories, Sayreville Justin Trivino
•
Parish of the Visitation, New Brunswick Daniel Gomez
Parish of the Visitation, New Brunswick Saray Camarillo
Sacred Heart, South Amboy Paige Cleary
•
Ss. Peter & Paul, Great Meadows Magdalyn Pilny
•
St. Ambrose, Old Bridge Nathan Bauer
St. Ambrose, Old Bridge Sean O’Keefe
St. Bartholomew, East Brunswick Camille de la Cruz
St. Bartholomew, East Brunswick Thomas Molnar
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Bridgewater Abby Hanifin
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Bridgewater Luke Rosato
St. Catherine of Siena, Pittstown Sadie Erling
St. Catherine of Siena, Pittstown Charles Evers
•
St. Edward the Confessor, Milford Cadence Wojcik
St. Elizabeth and St. Brigid Parish Nolan Baker
St. Elizabeth and St. Brigid Parish Claire Imossi
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Three Bridges Brennan Hampton
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Three Bridges Patrick Baldoni
St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, Metuchen John Cummings
St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, Metuchen Evelyn Magee
•
St. Helena, Edison Sydney Villanueva
St. James School, Woodbridge Lucy Bergquist
St. James, Basking Ridge Jeremiah Jaison
St. James, Basking Ridge Anthony Trivigno
St. James, Woodbridge Corey Pikula
St. John Vianney Parish, Colonia JJ Frame
St. John Vianney Parish, Colonia Phoebe Mouris
St. Joseph High School, Metuchen Wyatt Kovacs •
St. Joseph High School, Metuchen Luke McCabe
St. Joseph Parish, Hillsborough Grace Hanna
St. Joseph Parish, Hillsborough Megan Vogt
St. Joseph, Carteret Reindy Sanon
St. Magdalen de Pazzi, Flemington Angela Weaver
St. Magdalen de Pazzi, Flemington Nicholas Simeon
St. Mary, Alpha Katherine Haley
St. Mary, Alpha Michael Testani
St. Mary, South Amboy Noah Cruz
St. Mary, South Amboy Mikaela Pepe
St. Mary’s Stony Hill, Watchung Valentina Reale
St. Mary’s Stony Hill, Watchung Trotter Temple
St. Matthew the Apostle, Edison Leahana Ortiz •
St. Matthew the Apostle, Edison Suzette Stephen
St. Matthias, Somerset Angela Wyka •
St. Matthias, Somerset Carl Furtado
St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Edison Lucia Merendino • St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Edison Giancarlo Gioffre • The 2026 St. Teresa of Calcutta Award winners
By Christina Leslie, Contributing Editor Mary Morrell, Editor-in-Chief
Two feet of snow proved to be no match for some 180 faithful of the Diocese eager to take the next step towards full membership in the Church.
Originally slated as one, diocesan-wide event on Feb. 22 in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, the annual Rite of Election was held in multiple parishes during Masses celebrated Feb. 28 – March 8, the third weekend of Lent.
The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) formerly known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), is the Catholic Church’s process for welcoming adults into the Church. Drawing on the catechumenal practices of the early Church and restored after the Second Vatican Council, it guides seekers through prayer, catechesis, and discussion over a period that varies according to individual readiness.
After stages such as inquiry and the catechumenate, participants who desire to enter the Church celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist – or, if already baptized, are received into full communion with the Catholic Church.
Rather than regretting the weather’s divisive grip, JoLynn Krempecki, director of catechesis in Nativity of Our Lord Parish, saw the unique experience as a unifying moment for the entire congregation of the Monroe faith community.
“Our assembly really knows these people,” she said. “Every single week for a year-and-a-half, they are dismissed from Mass and processed out [to further study the Scriptures and teachings of the Church as per the OCIA guidelines.] This is a small part of a huge movement of the Holy Spirit in the Church.”
At the Rite of Election, the Bishop customarily acknowledges the readiness of the catechumens and calls them to the
The parish family of Nativity of Our Lord, Monroe Twp., warmly welcomed their new elect during the third Sunday of Lent. Right: Adriel Velez, elect, signs the Book of the Elect as Susan Yates, godparent, and Analeise Davidson, elect, leave the sanctuary. Bottom Left: Yates, Davidson, Maura Knofel, godparent, and Ana Sandoval, elect, pray during the rite. Bottom Right: Nativity pastor Father Nalaka Silva blesses, from left, MaryAnn Munson, godparent; Cheyenne Sommer, elect; Janice Lajiness, godparent; and Velez (behind Father Silva). —Courtesy photos
Sacraments of Initiation. The catechumens respond by expressing their desire for these Sacraments. From this time until they are baptized, they are called “the elect.”
Father Nalaka Silva, pastor of the Monroe parish, performed the rite and invited the elect to sign their name in the Book of the Elect before the congregation. This year, due to the rite being celebrated at numerous locations, each Elect signed a single page which would be transported to the Diocese for inclusion in a book to be
assembled with pages from other churches in the four counties.
Krempecki recalled, “It was [for some congregants] the first time they saw the Rite. It was a beautiful thing on both sides. They experienced the rite at home with people they know, but there was a connection to the bishop and the larger Church. I didn’t expect there was Good News at home too. Maybe that’s what God wanted to show us this year: the Church is alive and well.”
Like many, I was called. I wasn’t aware that it was a call until I set foot into my first church. It was a small Catholic church and I was hit with this overwhelming amount of emotions. I could not stop crying. Then I came to another Catholic church: Nativity of Our Lord and then those same emotions. This is when I knew I needed to be here. The rest is history. This journey has changed me in more ways that I can explain and I am better for it. Truly I am blessed. The love and family I have acquired throughout has changed my life. As I have approached Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist, Jesus is always in my heart and my mind is to love like he loves all of us.
At this point in my life, I feel like God knew it was my time. As time went on, everything in my life was pointing back to me going back to the Church, and I remember asking so many questions, one of them being is it important to be baptized. The answer was yes, so I talked to my mom and started doing the process. As I was going through, it made me realize how important it is to have that special relationship with God, and I feel that once God is showing you signs and calling out for you, you answer. Ever since I started I keep looking back and being faithful for what he’s put me through to get here.
Elect: Ana Sandoval, age 37
At a young age, my parents would go to church on and off, so in a way it has always been in my life. As I got older and with two children (especially having my youngest) I feel it is even more important now to be more with Christ. I put my daughter (youngest) in Catholic school and with putting her in the school really pushed me to start going to church again. I have to be an example for my children, and I know that Christ is the way. I know in my heart that I want to be with God eternally.
Mark Deibert, sponsor
I became a sponsor because God wanted me to. How do I know this?
• An adult friend who was becoming Catholic asked me to be his sponsor.
• Kathleen, my granddaughter, asked me to be her sponsor.
• There were things going on in my life that needed to be brought into clarity. God clarified those things.
• Becoming a sponsor has taught me many things about my faith and being called to faithful commitment.
As a sponsor I see it as an honor to be involved in helping Ana on her journey to be a full member of the Catholic Church. It is very uplifting to see her faith grow and her commitment. She is an inspiration to me as I see her faith grow.
By Robert Christie, Correspondent
On the chilly Saturday evening of Dec. 6, the small and intimate St. Stephen’s Church in South River was host to a very special occasion, the first of its kind in its 119-year history – a visit by his Eminence, Most Reverend Oscar Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, Archbishop Emeritus of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Cardinal Maradiaga was one of the closest friends of Pope Francis, and served as former president of both the College of Cardinals and the Latin American Conference of Bishops (CELAM).
Father John Szczepanik, pastor, recalled that when he was studying for his Ph.D. in theology in Washington, D.C., a mentor recommended he interview Cardinal Maradiaga because the Cardinal had expertise in Father Szczepanik’s area of study. The interview led to a friendship. Therefore, Father John invited His Eminence to come to St. Stephen’s to offer a closing Mass for the parish celebration of the Jubilee Year 2025.
“The Cardinal accepted the invita-
tion and made an extraordinary effort to come to the United States just for four days and just for that purpose. He offered three Masses at St. Stephen’s, – Dec. 6 and Dec. 7, both of which were in a packed church, and a third, private Mass on Dec. 8, the day of his departure for Honduras,” said Father Szczepanik.
On the evening of the Dec. 6 Mass, the small 250-seat church was completely packed, with an additional 100 parishioners lining both side walls and the rear of the church. Concelebrants for the Mass included Auxiliary Bishop of Newark Manuel Cruz, Father Jonathan S. Toborowsky, diocesan administrator, and 10 fellow priests.
Mass began with the traditional hymn, “Faith of Our Fathers,” played by the small group of musicians consisting of keyboard, guitars, and accordion, and segued into a very up-tempo Spanish version of “Vienen con alegria.” During these songs, the Cardinal, concelebrants and more than forty altar servers processed up the center aisle.
A large banner stood on the side of the altar, and extended the greeting,
“Welcome Su Eminencia Mons. Oscar Cardinal Rodríguez de Honduras. Muchas gracias, Su Eminencia y muchas bendictiones. Padre Juan Jose con sus Feligreses Iglesia de San Esteban.”
“This is an extraordinary day for the humble parish of St. Stephen’s that we have a Cardinal celebrating Mass. We are very privileged that you come here to our small parish with a big heart,” Father Szczepanik said in his welcome to the Cardinal, before two young girls presented the Cardinal with a bouquet and five parishioners followed to extend personal greetings on behalf of the parish.
The Cardinal’s very well-received homily, in both Spanish and English, elicited more than a dozen moments of laughter among the congregation before the Cardinal concluded, in English, “The Holy Spirit is at work every day, if we let him.”
During the Mass, Father Szczepanik introduced two special parishioners – the youngest, Catherine Sofia Castillo, a 10day old infant, and the oldest, Tomasa Cruz, a 100-year-old-woman who was wheeled to the altar. The Cardinal wel-
comed them both most graciously.
Following Communion, the Mass included a few songs of meditation performed by parish musicians, soloists and St. Stephen’s Children’s Choir.
Father Szczepanik closed the Mass by thanking all of the parishioners who contributed to the celebration, hugging as many as possible, and in a final act of thanksgiving, he walked to the altar and hugged his old friend, the Cardinal.
The Mass was followed by a special banquet in honor of the Cardinal in St. Stephen’s Parish Center which included a concert of Latin-American religious music.
Reflecting on the significance of the Cardinal’s presence, Father Szczepanik said, “The importance and magnitude of this visit were enormous in the spiritual life of all members of St. Stephen’s, both Spanish and English speaking alike. As a matter of fact, an active participation at the liturgy of both American born and Latino parishioners was a moving and visible sign of the great spirit of two different cultures working together for the same Church.”
By Deacon Patrick Cline Correspondent
Just as Lent invites people to renew their commitment to God, “Black History Month invites us to renew a commitment to understanding and embracing the diversity God has woven in the fabric of our society,” Benedictine Father Patrick Winbush told participants in the annual Diocesan Black History Mass.
“Why do we celebrate Black History Month? We do so to celebrate those in the past who have paved the way for future generations but also to acknowledge the ongoing struggle for justice and equality,” Father Winbush said in his homily at the Feb. 21 Mass at St. Matthias Parish in Somerset.
After the opening prayer, the Church was filled with music of the local Bui Family Union Cameroonian Community Choir. Eight members in traditional dress danced in procession down the center aisle of the church, ushering in the Book of the Gospels, carried on the back of one of the dancers. Father Winbush met the dancers at the foot of the altar and, as the book was presented to him, he raised it for the congregation to see, then placed it on the altar.
During his homily, Father Winbush, Subprior of the Benedictine Monks of Newark Abbey, referred to the Old Testament reading, in which “God created us in his own image and likeness. That was not an act of power but an expression of love and diversity. Each person, regardless of race or background, is created in the image of God.”
“The beauty of diversity is a gift from God,” he emphasized. He also spoke of the seven African Americans who have been proposed for canonization. “May their lives inspire us to seek justice, love, mercy and to walk humbly with our God.”
Father Winbush said Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “and so many others have shown us the power of faith in action. Dr. King not only fought for civil rights, but also rooted his mission in the law of Christ. His unwavering faith is an example of how we can work towards peace and justice in our communities.”
Father Winbush concluded by asking the congregation to commit “to learning more about the history and experiences of all cultures. Let us engage in conversations that promote understanding and healing. As we embark on our Lenten journey, let us carry the spirit of Black History Month in our hearts.”
The Cameroonian choir sang again as the altar was being prepared for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The dancers processed to the sanctuary, presenting the gifts of the people, including the bread
and wine for the consecration.
Caroline Asogha-Shemlon, a lector at St. Matthias Church and coordinator of the Cameroonian choir and dance group, said the processions were “a means of engaging people joyfully and spiritually. They show that prayer can take on different forms; worshippers can experience spiritual nourishment through song and dance as we celebrate as a family through God’s Word and through the community’s gifts.”
Father Thomas Lanza, pastor of St. Matthias, had welcomed the community to the Mass, saying, “God reveals himself to humanity in the many diverse cultures and customs that make up our Catholic Church; this evening is a celebration of that diversity which St. Matthias Parish has long embraced.”
In closing remarks, the pastor said he noticed some members of the congregation appeared uncomfortable during the Mass, because “this is not what we normally do. I would encourage you to sit with that, explore that, because that is the only path forward to eliminate racism and discrimination in our society.”
1. Congregants light seven candles in a Kinara (candleholder) representing the seven principles of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose and faith – values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing community among African-Americans. 2. Benedictine Father Patrick Winbush and Pastor Father Thomas Lanza are pictured at the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. 3 & 4. The Bui Family Union Cameroonian Community Choir sings and dancers process to the sanctuary, presenting the gifts of the people, including the bread and wine for consecration.
—John Batkowski photos
By Mary Morrell Editor-in-Chief
For the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi holds particular significance as a place of pilgrimage where the faithful may earn a plenary indulgence.
In an interview with The Catholic Spirit, Father Timothy A. Christy, Cathedral Rector, reflected on the importance of the Franciscan Jubilee Year, its meaning for the faithful, the value of pilgrimage for a life of faith, and the meaning of plenary indulgence.
The Year of St. Francis
“This year 2026 marks the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi in 1226.,” said Father Christy. “The Jubilee Year was proclaimed by our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV and runs from January 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027. As such, it will be a unique time of pilgrimage, prayer, and renewed inspiration from this pivotal saint in our Catholic history. His life, legacy, and spirituality have shaped countless vowed religious, lay associations and movements, as well as contributions to popular devotions and common spiritual practices within the wider Church.”
Reflecting on the history of the Diocese, Father Christy added, “It is significant and providential that our Mother Church in Metuchen is named for Francis. He is one of the saints most often associated with widespread conversion in the Church. Our Diocese was founded in
1981 by Pope St. John Paul II – with the local parish of St. Francis of Assisi becoming a Cathedral. We are the youngest diocese in the state of New Jersey. As such, we have opportunities to build our Catholic culture strongly on the inspiration of St. Francis with his spirituality as an animating force.”
The Franciscan Jubilee comes at the close of the Jubilee of Hope, which began when Pope Leo XIV opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24, 2025, and which continued until Jan. 6, 2026. This Jubilee was a Holy Year, one celebrated every 25 years in recent centuries, and recalls, said Father Christy, “the redemption won for us through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was a major celebration in the City of Rome, where Pope Leo formally opened the Jubilee Doors in the four major Roman Basilicas. This invites pilgrims from all over the world to come and cross the threshold of the doorway – done with faith, along with the conditions prescribed for a plenary indulgence to be gained – Confession, Communion and prayer for the Pope.”
During this Jubilee Year of St. Francis, Pope Leo is extending to the whole Church the opportunity to gain a plenary indulgence by participating in a pilgrimage to a shrine or holy place dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, noted Father Christy. “What is marvelous for us is that our Cathedral is under the patronage of St. Francis of Assisi. So, this Franciscan Jubilee year brings a tremendous opportunity for our Diocese.”
What is a plenary indulgence?
Anyone making a pilgrimage to a designated site during a Jubilee Year is granted a plenary indulgence when they meet the conditions prescribed. Father Christy explained that a plenary indulgence is “a remittance of all temporal punishment due to sin accumulated to this point in life. When we go to Confession, we are forgiven our sins. Yet there may still be the brokenness that ensued from our actions to ourselves and others that must still be purified. In this case, the ‘temporal punishment’ will be taken care of in purgatory – if penance is not done sooner. This is not magic. It is grace from the merits of Jesus won for us, as well as the merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints who contribute through a holy life to the treasury of the Church. Indulgences are ways that we benefit from the sacrifices of others.”
St. Francis and the Eucharist
“St. Francis is known for his love for the Eucharist,” said Father Christy. “It was he who popularized Eucharist devotion by praying before Christ in the Monstrance. At the heart of his spirituality was the person of Jesus. He wanted people to know and fall in love with Jesus. He developed the Christmas crèche and the Stations of the Cross as popular and common ways for people in local parishes to learn in a dynamic way the critical aspects of Incarnational spirituality. People did not read in the time of Francis. Visuals moved the heart as well as provided the opportunity to learn. Today, almost every Catholic Church
around the world has Stations of the Cross, a Christmas crèche, and Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.”
An Invitation
“St. Francis, who is also known for his relevance to discussions on ecology, ecumenism, and evangelization, can inspire us to get back to the basics of loving Jesus – knowing His life story –and recommitting to following Him in our everyday lives,” said Father Christy, extending an invitation to all the faithful.
“Here in our Cathedral, we will have our shrine area to St. Francis adorned with special beauty. There will be a place to kneel, pray, and light candles of devotion. There will be prayer cards to pray for the renewal of faith and the specifics to gain the plenary indulgence. The Cathedral will be open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. to welcome pilgrims for an opportunity to pray,” he said.
The Cathedral will host a three-part Franciscan Spirituality Lecture Series exploring the beauty and depth of Franciscan spirituality – April 16, April 30, and May 7, all starting at 7 p.m.
In the fall, an ecumenical prayer service will provide an opportunity for other Christian faiths to come to the Cathedral to pray for peace and Christian unity. This has not yet been scheduled as the Diocese awaits the coming of a new bishop so he may take part.
For a full schedule of Jubilee Year celebrations and activities, visit www. stfranciscathedral.org.
The Spirituality Committee of St. Luke’s Church, chaired by Bettina Willis, hosted its third annual Retreat Day, Feb. 28, with this year’s event welcoming parishioners from its sister church, St. Joseph’s, with both worship sites comprising Sts. Joseph and Luke Parish, North Plainfield.
Parishioners gathered in St. Luke’s Church hall, where the retreat opened with prayer led by Pastor Mauricio Tabera Vasquez. The morning began with an introduction to the patron saints of the two churches: Saint Joseph and Saint Luke the Evangelist.
St. Joseph, a Jewish tradesman from Nazareth, served as the legal father of Jesus Christ and is remembered for raising and guiding him with paternal care. Scripture records relatively little about Joseph, though ancient tradition holds that he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary, Mother of Jesus. Joseph is honored as the patron saint of fathers, workers, carpenters, and those seeking a happy death. His feast day is celebrated on March 19.
In contrast, St. Luke, a Gentile physician from the city of Antioch, did not have direct contact with Jesus. Instead, his Gospel presents an orderly and historical account compiled from the testimony of others. Luke was a close companion of St. Paul the Apostle and traveled with him on missionary journeys. During Paul’s final imprisonment in Rome,
he wrote that “only Luke is with me.” Luke’s Gospel is notable for its emphasis on the poor, victims of injustice, and repentant sinners. Among its best-known passages are the parables of the rich man and Lazarus and the prodigal son. Luke also records Mary’s prayer of praise, the Magnificat. His close association with Mary enabled him to recount significant events such as the Annunciation, the Visitation to Elizabeth, and the Presentation in the Temple.
Following the introduction, Gerry McKenna presented a retrospective of St. Luke’s Parish. He recalled the parish’s founding in 1980, the leadership of its first pastor, Father Remus, and the service of Deacons Al Parenti and Dan Rossi. Approximately 900 parishioners attended the parish’s first Mass. Soon afterward, Father John Giordano was appointed pastor. In 2007, following Father Giordano’s retirement, Father Greg Urhig briefly served as pastor, followed by Father Lancelot McGrath. During these years, McKenna noted that attendance had “fallen below a critical mass.”
He concluded by emphasizing the deeper significance of the parish community, saying unity “is Spirit-driven, and the real history of St. Luke’s is found in its people and priests.”
By Robert Christie, Correspondent and Mary Morrell, Editor-in-Chief
salvation. Luke’s writings also underscore the important role of women in Jesus’s ministry; they remain faithful at the cross and serve as witnesses to key moments in the Gospel narrative. Meals frequently appear in Luke’s Gospel as occasions for community-building and reconciliation, where social barriers are broken down.
During the question-and-answer session that followed, Monsignor Fell remarked that women played a significant role in the early Church. In response to another question, he briefly explained the process by which the biblical canon was formed and the criteria used in selecting the books that would become part of Scripture.
The retreat’s guest speaker, Monsignor John Fell, diocesan director of Priest Personnel, reflected on the relevance of both Saint Joseph and Saint Luke to the life of the two churches. He described Joseph as a model of devoted family love. Although relatively little is known about him, Joseph experienced a unique closeness with Jesus. Monsignor Fell emphasized Joseph’s acceptance of his legal, religious, and cultural role as father, noting that Pope Francis once observed that “Joseph placed himself at the center and service of the plan of salvation.”
Turning to Luke, Monsignor Fell highlighted the Gospel’s message of universal
Joseph Castro then shared the history of St. Joseph’s Parish, which dates back to 1851, shortly after the establishment of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The parish began humbly, holding services in a barn before the construction of the church building between 1875 and 1880. In 1881, St. Joseph School opened under the leadership of the parish’s first pastor, Father John Bradley. Around 1930, Castro’s family joined the parish during the tenure of Father Thomas Campbell, who served as pastor for three decades. By about 1980, however, the parish began to experience declining membership, and the parish school closed in 2007. Castro noted that the community, once largely composed of Irish, German, and Italian immigrants, is now experiencing renewed vitality through the growth of the Spanish-speaking community, with church renovations currently underway.
After lunch, Pete O’Connell facilitated a “Table Topics” discussion centered on two questions. The first considered whether differences in life circumstances – such as those between Joseph the carpenter and Luke the physician – can affect a person’s ability to develop compassion and humility. Participants agreed that wealth and privilege can present challenges but do not prevent individuals from cultivating virtue.
The second question explored Luke’s emphasis on loving one’s enemies. Participants acknowledged that this virtue can be difficult to practice due to human tendencies toward selfishness, retaliation, fear, and ignorance – echoing the words attributed to Jesus on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
St. Joseph, a Jewish tradesman from Nazareth, served as the legal father of Jesus Christ and is remembered for raising and guiding him with paternal care. Scripture records relatively little about Joseph.
St. Luke, a Gentile physician from the city of Antioch, did not have direct contact with Jesus. His Gospel presents an orderly and historical account compiled from the testimony of others.
This screenshot for the video, “Growing in Prayer – a Lenten Livestream Mission,” an initiative of St. Joseph Parish, Hillsborough, shows the program’s four hosts, clockwise from top left, Phil Russo, an engaged parishioner, Sister Gabriela of the Incarnation, a Contemplative Discalced Carmelite from the Carmel of Mary Immaculate and St. Mary Magdalen, Flemington; Father Hank Hilton, pastor, and Susan Delaney, a spiritual director and former Catholic school teacher.
By David Karas, Correspondent
By continuing a pandemic experiment that was designed to engage faithful, a dedicated team at St. Joseph Parish, Hillsborough, has engaged millions through livestreaming Masses and missions.
“During the pandemic, as we considered every opportunity to maintain contact and build community among parishioners, we started our livestream Mass process and several other online projects,” said pastor, Father Hank Hilton. “They turned out to be a terrific channel of grace for our parishioners and many others – so far, we have had just over 2.1 million views.”
The parish’s latest project is “Growing in Prayer – a Lenten Livestream Mission.” For five consecutive Wednesdays, Father Hilton has been joined for the video series by Sister Gabriela of the Incarnation, a Contemplative Discalced Carmelite from the Carmel of Mary Immaculate and St. Mary Magdalen, Flemington; Susan Delaney, a spiritual director and former Catholic school teacher; and Phil Russo, an engaged parishioner.
“So it’s a nun, a mom and wife, a husband and dad, and a priest – a great mix,” said Father Hilton.
In each installment, the panelists consider things that can help move the experience of prayer away from routine prayer, beyond reflective prayer and towards “a truly relational experience of speaking and listening to God.”
“You are putting in the time in prayer,” said Father Hilton. “Might there be something to be gained from expecting more, from feeling more interactive with Jesus?”
While the team would typically be happy to see 100 views on videos like this, one segment alone has already drawn over 500 – a number that continues to grow as others catch up by watching the videos on YouTube. The hope, he added, is that watching videos might lead to more.
“If they are more likely to take the first step by participating at home, cool,” said Father Hilton. “Might that deepen their desire to pray in church with others and to receive the Eucharist with greater appreciation? We bet yes.”
Father Hilton credits not only the
panelists, but also parish youth minister Bob Ferretti and young adult ministry member Emily Sharbaugh, who work hard behind the scenes to make each production special. While they rely on inexpensive equipment, they work diligently to make each segment work – and to maintain live programming to allow for interaction.
Sister Gabriela first got involved in videos with Father Hilton about a year and a half ago as part of a Fireside Faith series, and she was drawn to be part of this latest series to encourage deeper prayer among faithful.
“People can be afraid of prayer, of going deeper into the Mass. It can feel too challenging, too unknown,” she said. “I hope that the four of us can show that a relationship with God is challenging –every personal relationship is challenging – but it’s something that we’re made for and that is actually tailor-made for each of us because God meets us where we are.”
She added that the topic is perfect for the Lenten season.
“For me, Lent is a time of spiritual spring-cleaning,” she said. “It’s a time to clear away the spiritual cobwebs that easily gather as we go through life and to see more clearly the wonder of God’s love for me and for each of us and to live that love more deeply.”
Delaney noted that there are many ways to pray, and that all are invited by God to pray.
“God loves everyone and invites everyone into a personal relationship with Him,” she said, “and all are worthy to experience the mystery of God.”
Russo said he enjoys participating in the unrehearsed conversations that come up between Father Hilton and viewers, as well as the planning that the panelists do ahead of time to reflect on their own views about each week’s focus.
He hopes that viewers walk away with something after tuning in.
“I hope they gain some tools that will help them deepen their prayer experience and create a closer relationship with Jesus,” he said. “I hope they come away with a sense that there are many ways to pray, and the mere fact that they are praying is a good thing.”
At every Holy Mass the priest begins the Preface by entering into a dialogue with the participants at the Mass: “The Lord be With You … Lift up Your Hearts … Let Us Give Thanks to the Lord Our God…” Then, following the dialog-introduction, we hear about Angels and Archangels, Principalities, Thrones and Dominions, Virtues and Powers, and Seraphim and Cherubim. What does all this mean? What are these entities? What is their relationship to God? What is our relationship to them?
We know about angels, at least about our Guardian Angels, who have been assigned by God to accompany us throughout our lives. Their primary role is to lead us to everlasting life with God. We also read about angels throughout the Sacred Scriptures. For example, we are all familiar with the passage where “the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26).
What about the Thrones and Principalities and Dominions spoken of at Holy Mass? They are part of the list of the nine choirs of angels, traditionally organized into three hierarchies. The hierarchy isn’t originally biblical – it’s theological. The nine choirs of angels (Seraphim through Angels) don’t appear as a single list in Sacred Scripture. Their ordered hierarchy comes from a 5th century Christian mystic known as Pseudo-Dionysius and was later refined by St. Thomas Aquinas. They represent distinct orders of celestial beings tasked with worshipping God and serving humanity. Ranked from highest to lowest they are: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels (including Guardian Angels).
St. Thomas Aquinas is the primary saint known for detailing the theology and nature of angels. This is why he is famously known as the “Angelic Doctor.” In his Summa Theologiae, St.
Thomas provided extensive analysis on angelic intellect, will, and the nine choirs of angels, describing angels as purely spiritual, immaterial beings with superior intellect, always active.
He also described and outlined the choirs of angels and explained that these hierarchies represent a structure where the higher choirs contemplate God directly, while lower choirs work closer to the material world and humanity. (St. Augustine emphasized that “angel” refers to their mission – messenger – not their nature. Their nature is spirit; their role is angel. He noted that they appear as needed.)
The first of the three hierarchies of angels include the hierarchy, which is the highest one, the one closest to God. These are the Seraphim, the Cherubim and the Thrones. The highest choir – Seraphim –burns with love, not fire. The word seraph comes from a Hebrew root meaning “to burn.” Their “fire” is the intensity of their love and adoration of God. The Cherubim possess intense knowledge and are keepers of God’s glory. And the Thrones are associated with humility, peace, and submission. Despite their lofty name,
they are described as angels of profound humility – an intriguing contrast to their exalted position in the first hierarchy.
The second hierarchy is the order of the cosmos which includes Dominions, Virtues, and Powers. Dominions regulate the duties of lower angels and are known as angels of leadership. Virtues are linked to miracles and the natural world. In this second hierarchy, the Virtues are said to govern the elements including miracles, cosmic order, and divine power at work in creation. And Powers protect souls against the snares of the devil and temptations.
Those in the third hierarchy – Principalities, Archangels, and Angels – are known as messengers and guardians of humanity. Principalities inspire culture, arts, and sciences. This is a lesser-known detail about them: Principalities aren’t just protectors of nations – they’re traditionally believed to inspire human creativity and intellectual pursuits.
Archangels are special messengers of God, often delivering crucial high-level messages. And, Angels, including Guardian Angels, are the lowest among the three choirs of angels. They are mes-
sengers and personal protectors of humanity. (St. Frances of Rome had visions of her guardian angel, describing it as a luminous being that protected her.
St. Padre Pio frequently saw his guardian angel and relied on it for protection and assistance, describing the angel as a companion from childhood to death. And St. Angela of Foligno described the overwhelming joy and happiness experienced in the presence of angels.)
The most widely known among the Archangels are St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Rafael. They are believed to watch over humanity, the universe, and all other angels. People often associate them with prayer, meditation or focusing on specific virtues like courage and wisdom, or on healing.
St. Michael the Archangel is the leader of the heavenly army and a primary defender of the Church against evil, known as a protector of souls and a warrior against Satan. He is also recognized as the patron saint of police officers, soldiers, security guards, paramedics, and mariners.
Some special aspects of St. Michael include the meaning of his name: in Hebrew “Who is like God,” symbolizing his humility and loyalty, contrasting with the pride of Satan. As the chief archangel and prince of the heavenly host, he is known for four main offices: fighting Satan, rescuing the souls of the faithful, being the champion of God’s people, and summoning souls to judgment.
St. Michael appears in the Book of Daniel as a defender of Israel and in Revelation as the leader who casts Satan out of Heaven. The following “Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel”, was composed by Pope Leo XIII in the 1860’s: “Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
And do thou, oh prince of the Heavenly Host, By the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”
Father Hillier serves as diocesan director, Office of Pontifical Mission Societies, the Office for Persons with Disabilities and Censor Librorum.
By Robert Christie, Correspondent Mary Morrell, Editor-in-Chief
In a quiet school cafeteria filled with nearly 200 students, parishioners, and community members, a 90-year-old woman stood before the audience with a simple request: “Please don’t forget.”
That plea came from Maud Dahme, a Holocaust survivor who visited St. Bartholomew Parish Feb. 26 to share her story of survival as one of the “hidden children” of World War II – Jewish children who were secretly sheltered by non-Jewish families during the Nazi occupation of Europe.
The event, held in the parish school cafeteria, drew about 200 people from the parish, school, and wider community. The presentation was part of a long-standing educational partnership between St. Bartholomew School and the Daniel Pearl Education Center, an initiative of Temple B’nai Shalom in East Brunswick.
The evening was overseen by the parish pastor, Father Thomas Walsh. School principal Theresa Craig welcomed the audience, describing the gathering as an opportunity for students and parishioners to reflect on both the darkness of history and the light revealed through human courage and compassion.
Craig noted that the visit was part of a 20-year collaboration between the school and the Daniel Pearl Education Center, dedicated to Holocaust education and the promotion of tolerance.
Through the partnership, eighthgrade students participate each year in a
trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. The trip traditionally includes visits to the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, helping students connect the lessons of history with the broader story of sacrifice and freedom.
This year’s trip included a particularly meaningful moment when students had the opportunity to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
“These experiences help our students understand history not just as something in a textbook, but as something lived by real people,” Craig said.
Dahme’s own story began in the Netherlands, where she lived a happy childhood before the outbreak of World War II.
“We had a wonderful life before Hitler,” she recalled.
That life changed abruptly in May 1940 when Nazi Germany invaded the country. After just five days of fighting, the Dutch surrendered, and the occupation began under the regime of Adolf Hitler.
Jewish families soon faced mounting restrictions. They were forced to register with the authorities, dismissed from their jobs, and required to wear the yellow Star of David.
As a small child, Dahme remembered feeling proud to wear the star like the adults around her, not yet understanding its meaning.
Normal life quickly disappeared. Jewish teachers were dismissed from schools, Jewish students were barred from public education, and families were limited in where and when they could shop.
Maud Dahme, a Holocaust survivor visits St. Bartholomew Parish Feb. 26 to share her story of survival as one of the “hidden children” of World War II – Jewish children who were secretly sheltered by nonJewish families during the Nazi occupation of Europe. The event drew some 200 people from the parish, school and broader community.
—Hal Brown photos
In 1942, many Jewish families received letters informing them they would be relocated “to the East.” In reality, these deportations led to concentration and extermination camps.
To save their children, many Jewish parents arranged for them to be hidden with Christian families willing to risk their own lives.
Dahme’s parents made the painful decision to send their two daughters into hiding.
Reflecting on that moment years later, Dahme said, “I don’t know if I could do this as a mother myself.”
Under cover of darkness, she was taken to live with a farming family. One of her duties there was delivering food to a young Jewish boy who was hiding beneath the barn floor, accessed through a trap door hidden under hay.
German soldiers frequently patrolled the area, and one encounter remains her most terrifying memory of the war. After climbing up through the trap door one day, she found German soldiers standing nearby.
“As I walked away, I expected to be shot in the back,” she said. “But nothing happened.”
As the war continued, conditions grew increasingly desperate. On Christmas Eve 1944, Dahme was forced to move again, this time to a fishing village along the coast.
Food shortages were severe. At times people resorted to eating roasted insects to survive. Eel became the staple food in the village.
Finally, on April 19, 1945, the village was liberated by Allied forces.
Dahme later learned that her parents had also survived the war, hiding in a friend’s attic for three years. Reuniting after such a long separation, however, was emotionally difficult.
“It took time to get used to my parents again,” she said.
Eight members of her extended family perished during the Holocaust.
Continues on page 17
By Christina Leslie,
Question:
What are some of the ingredients included in the success of a Brazilian seminarian’s 4,500-mile journey to priestly service in Massachusetts by way of the Diocese of Metuchen’s St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish?
Answer:
The Kendall Park congregation’s loving hearts and fervent prayers, an engraved chalice and a musical declaration asserting that seminarian is a “brother of the parish.”
Kaique Duarte Santos, a native of Teófilo Otoni, Brazil, first intended to become a Salesian order priest, but changed spiritual direction in his second year in seminary when he learned of the need for Portuguese-speaking clergy in the U.S. He left Brazil in 2023 and entered Seton Hall University and Seminary, South Orange with the goal of becoming a diocesan priest in the Diocese of Fall River, Mass., and serve that state’s large population of Portuguese residents.
In conversations with his friend, fellow seminarian Jonathan Abouhayla, Santos learned about Abouhayla’s home parish of St. Augustine of Canterbury and was granted approval to minister there between semesters at Seton Hall. The Metuchen Diocese faith community has long inspired and nurtured men and women towards lives of faith; in the past 30 years, the faith community is responsible for ‘nurturing the vocations of priests,
It wasn’t long until Santos knew he had found a spiritual home in St. Augustine, declaring, “It had a diversity I had never seen before. I loved the parish. There were so many different nationalities, and it drew my attention how welcoming they were to me.”
Reverend Canon Father Robert G. Lynam, pastor, also was impressed with the seminarian, recalling, “He participated in the life of the parish, especially at the liturgy all weekend. I encouraged him to do a reflection/homily once a month, and he did a great job. The congregation really enjoyed his thoughtfulness and spirituality in his homilies and truly welcomed him.”
A second year of ministry in St. Augustine’s was approved by the seminary, and the bond between Brazilian seminarian and the New Jersey Catholic community only grew.
Though a 10-day pilgrimage to Rome and the Vatican with Father Lynam and fellow seminarians Abouhayla and Nicholas Caselli – including Mass with Pope Francis on New Year’s Day, 2025 – deeply impacted the young man, he chose one-on-one interactions with his adopted congregation as his favorite aspect of ministry.
“Being with people at the important moments of life, like Baptisms and weddings and funerals, is something that people remember forever,” he said. “You get to know people and their hearts.”
Santos was ordained a transitional
Far left, diocesan seminarian Jonathan Abouhayla and Deacon Kaique Duarte Santos are pictured after Deacon Santos’ Ordination to the Diaconate Dec. 13, 2025, in the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption, Fall River, Mass. At left, Deacon Santos holds up the paten and chalice presented to him by St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish and Father Robert Lynam, pastor, at the noon Mass, Feb. 15. —Courtesy photos
deacon Dec. 13, 2025, in the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption, Fall River, Mass.; several St. Augustine parishioners made the journey to witness the new deacon’s ordination as well as his first Mass the following day in Corpus Christi Parish, East Sandwich, Mass.
The congregation of St. Augustine Parish was not ready to bid the beloved deacon farewell just yet, Father Lynam explained, and recounted a special surprise from the congregation and its pastor.
“I asked him to come here for a weekend that we could celebrate his diaconate as a parish community, so the weekend of Feb. 15 at the noon Mass we had just that – a wonderful Mass in honor of him becoming a deacon,” the pastor said. “He preached and then I asked him to sit in the presider’s chair.”
Father Lynam informed the congregation it is customary for a priest’s parents to present their son with a new chalice as he begins his ministry. Since Deacon Santos’ parents were both deceased, his adopted New Jersey parish stepped into the role of family. Father Lynam and the congregation presented Deacon Santos with a new chalice engraved with the names of his parents, Marizete and Aldair Santos, and June 6, the date of his priestly ordination.
“It was custom-made in Krakow, Poland, when I was there in October, 2025, for the Feast of St. John Paul II,” Father Lynam explained. “Some of the parishioners donated towards it. After Communion, I blessed this chalice that he will use at his first Mass.”
One more surprise caused tears to flow throughout the congregation… and those in the sanctuary: Father Lynam had commissioned a song from Christian music company PrayerSong entitled, “Brother of the Parish.” The lyrics described the young man’s journey to the N.J. parish and the people’s love for him:
God brought you here, a blessing from above, From Brazil to Saint Augustine, you came with love. Warm and personable, with kindness in your heart, A man of faith and humor, right from the start.
Chorus
Kaique, soon to be ordained a priest of Christ, Your heart of love and laughter has touched so many lives.
God blessed us with you, so selfless and kind, Saint Augustine is your home, with peace you’ll find.
Deacon Santos will be ordained to the priesthood June 6 for the Diocese of Fall River, where both his Brazilian heritage and New Jersey friendship bonds will continue – the Massachusetts diocese is shepherded by Brazilian-born Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., who is a former auxiliary bishop of Newark. Santos’ first assignment is in St. Joseph, Guardian of the Holy Family Parish in Falmouth, Mass., and a group from St. Augustine plans to make the trip north to attend the momentous events and see the engraved chalice lifted high at the consecration.
Santos explained the aspects of priesthood he most anticipates with joy, saying, “I am looking forward to caring for people in a complete way. The Sacrament of Reconciliation has helped me so much, and I know it is good for the people. That, and saying Mass, is the best way to be with people.”
No matter which direction the future priest’s ministry might take him, like the song says, St. Augustine of Canterbury will always be his home.
Listen to “Brother of the Parish” at PrayerSong | Turn Your Prayers and Stories Into a Song.
To see and hear a video of the presentation of chalice and song visit: https://parish.staugustinenj.org/.
a time of prayer, fellowship and celebration for Religious women
Msgr. John N. Fell stood before 60 women representing religious communities from across the Diocese and shared a little-known fact. He said, “The person who really taught me to pray in the way that is most powerful, most effective for me was a religious sister.”
The group was gathered March 7 for a Lenten Day of Recollection for Consecrated Life in the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, where sisters were welcomed by Sister of Charity Anna Nguyen, diocesan delegate for religious. She introduced Father Jonathan S. Toborows ky, diocesan administrator, who remind ed all present that the day would provide an opportunity to enter into prayer – one of the three goals of Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
In addition to presentations, the day included Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Mass.
Father Toborowsky introduced Msgr. Fell, diocesan director of Priest Person nel, as speaker for the day. “He is a priest of the Diocese for 38 years, a scholar, a teacher of seminarians and a formator for deacons. So I put you in the good hands of Msgr. Fell.”
by John Batkowski.
Msgr. Fell thanked those present, saying, “I always enjoy the opportunity to give something back to the sisters. I have to say you and your progenitors have totally influenced my faith and my life.
“Today we are going to talk about Pope Leo’s Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te, or “I have loved you.” He is starting from Pope Francis’ encyclical Dilexit Nos, or “He loved us.” Before his death, he noted, “Pope Francis was working on a document to develop the insights of that encyclical to reflect that Christian Life begins not with human effort but with the overwhelming initiative of God’s love.
“And that’s where Pope Leo in his document comes in and says, while perfect love is always God’s initiative, the point is that we are never to just enjoy it, to bask in it, but to share it. Pope Francis emphasized God’s initiative, Pope Leo
emphasizes our response.”
Msgr. Fell pointed out that Pope Leo loops around in his exhortation by linking the close of the document with the words of the beginning – “We are called to treat those who need us in such a way that each of them can realize that Christ is saying through us ‘I have loved you.’”
As celebrant and homilist for the Mass, Msgr. Fell reflected on the Gospel of the Prodigal Son, considering the ways in which the father could have reacted to his son’s return: “I don’t have a son, I don’t want to see him anymore,” or “Welcome back and after some period of time spent groveling I might think about forgiving you.”
If a poll were taken, Msgr. Fell suggested, some people would opt for either result. But that is not the way the story unfolds because, he said, “the father is playing the role of God’s love for us. I
think that is good news for us and our sinfulness. Because as good as the imperfect father in the story is can you imagine how great, how loving, how merciful is God the Father’s love for us?”
The day concluded with a lunch that provided an opportunity for fellowship. The day also marked Sister Anna Nguyen’s tenth anniversary as Delegate for Religious and a time for celebration of the milestone with expressions of thanks for all her work over the years.
Vanessa Cassano, a parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, attended the day of recollection as one who is discerning a call to religious life. “I thought that today would help me in this process. The day provided an opportunity to reflect on a vocation and to speak with many of the religious sisters present.”
This month, our parish began public celebrations of its 150th anniversary year. St. Joseph in Bound Brook was founded by German-speaking Benedictine monks from Newark Abbey who made the trek from Newark to minister to German immigrants in 19th-century Bound Brook.
To commemorate the occasion, and to give thanks to God and the Benedictines, we invited a monk of Newark Abbey, Father Edwin Leahy, OSB, who is also the well-known and longstanding headmaster of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, to lead and preach our patronal feast day Mass of St. Joseph on March 19.
Too many years have passed to determine the extent of the positive impact those Newark Benedictines undoubtedly made in launching our parish. I do know, at a personal level, that my priestly ministry likewise began under the guidance of Benedictine leadership, and I was the better for it. If our founding parishioners had anything similar, they, too, were quite blessed.
After ordination in 1990, I served in the Diocese of Memphis, where Bishop Daniel M. Buechlein, OSB, was shepherd. One day, a little more than a year after I arrived, Bishop Buechlein invited me to his office to talk about a diocesan-wide evangelization project. He took a look at me and said something wasn’t right. I said I was feeling a bit rundown and had a scratchy throat but I was otherwise fine and still working. He said, no, we’re not going to have this meeting, you need to see a doctor. The bishop then called his personal physician and directed me to go immediately to see this doctor. After an examination, the doctor determined that my tonsils were badly swollen, my spleen was enlarged, I was dehydrated and running a high fever, and he promptly hospitalized me for a week with a serious virus.
Once I recovered, which took several weeks, Bishop Buechlein re-assigned me to the largest parish in the diocese, where there were retired priests along with the regular staff, who could be support if I was having trouble regaining my
chancel of St. Mary’s Abbey Church at Newark
Benedictine monastery.
strength. Fortunately that wasn’t needed.
Later, reflecting on that experience, St. Benedict’s famous teaching on hospitality from his Rule came to mind:
“Let all guests who arrive be received as Christ.” Clearly, I was more than just a morning appointment on the bishop’s to-do list, and a bit closer to how St. Benedict envisioned guests.
Humility is an even more basic element of Christian life than hospitality.
Some have even called humility the foundation and essence of Christian practice,
‘Don’t forget,’ Holocaust survivor beseeches audience
During her presentation, Dahme shared family photographs and reflected on the bravery of those who risked their lives to protect others.
“All this was possible because someone was courageous enough to help us,” she said. “In the midst of all this madness, there was goodness.”
Her message to the young people in the room was simple but profound: “Be kind. Don’t bully.”
Now a longtime resident of New Jersey, Dahme immigrated to the United States in 1950, arriving through Hoboken. She later dedicated much of her life to
the root of all virtues, in fidelity to Jesus who humbled himself for our sakes. Here again, St. Benedict’s sixth-century teaching shines forth, as he proposed a 12-step ladder of humility, with the last step culminating in the follower becoming “humility itself,” as Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister has noted.
So whether we’ve had direct experience with a Benedictine monk or institution or not, whether we’ve read “The Rule of St. Benedict” or not, our practice of Christian hospitality and humility continues to shine
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speaking with students and community groups about the lessons of the Holocaust.
In 2014 she was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame and received its Unsung Hero Award. She also authored the memoir “Chocolate, The Taste of Freedom”, published in 2015.
Following the presentation, students asked numerous questions and reflected on what they had learned.
“I think it’s an inspiring story because little acts of kindness can help children in difficult situations,” said eighth-grader Samantha Franchi.
Classmate Andrew Monteleone said
light on the enduring importance of St. Benedict’s fruitful legacy. This is especially true in our world today, which is at times far from hospitable and humble, a world that can use a large dose of each.
Recently, I happened to be on a teaching panel with Benedictine Sister Teresa Jackson, prioress of St. Gertrude Monastery in Cottonwood, Idaho. She was tasked with presenting aspects of Benedictine spirituality that could be of value to a group of about 20 people, of various Christian stripes, who were training to be contemplative leaders. Why would St. Benedict be relevant to them, and to us? Sister Teresa: “The 1500-yearold Benedictine tradition is founded on the idea that ordinary men and women are called to live a life intentionally focused on God. Benedictine spirituality calls everyone to live a life structured around the values of prayer, service, listening and humility. As we intentionally live these values in our parish and other communities, we will, in Benedict’s words, ‘go all together to everlasting life.’”
The late theologian and Jesuit Father Karl Rahner once proposed, to some controversy, the concept of the “anonymous Christian,” referring to those who lived the life of a Christian without formally becoming one. We can say a little more safely that’s it quite good for us, in our own ways, and especially through our practice of hospitality and humility, to be “anonymous Benedictines.”
Msgr. Kerrigan is pastor of St. Joseph Church, Bound Brook, and an instructor in the Institute of Contemplative Leadership at Mepkin Abbey, SC.
the talk helped him better understand the realities of wartime life. “It was very informative and her story showed how challenging it was during that time of war,” he said.
Cybil Bechay, also in eighth grade, was struck by Dahme’s courage. “Someone so young could go through such a difficult time,” she said. “Her story showed how people who may not have been through something like that could learn from her experience.”
Younger students were equally moved.
“Mrs. Dahme’s words helped me picture her story in my mind,” said seventh-grader Jeremy Youssef. “It must have been scary to move so much and
hide from the soldiers.”
Seventh-grader Joey Napoli reflected on the moral lesson of the evening: “It shows us that while there are bad people in the world, there are also many good ones.”
For Briana Hefferan, hearing the story in person made the experience especially powerful. “She is proof of what happened,” she said.
As survivors grow fewer with each passing year, evenings like this serve as a living bridge between history and the next generation.
For Dahme, the reason she continues to share her story remains simple.
“My final thought,” she told the audience, “is please don’t forget.”
St. Mary Stony Hill:
Trotter Temple is a leader in our Youth Ministry program who is serving on our Confirmation Retreat Team as well. He is always prepared to witness and lead wherever is needed, and is stepping into more mature accompaniment roles as well, as a Confirmation Sponsor to a younger teen and a Godfather to a baby girl. Valentina Reale serves on our Youth Ministry leadership team and Confirmation Retreat Team. She has been sponsoring a child in Kenya on her own for several years, and will be doing a leadership and service trip in Tanzania and Zanzibar this summer.
St. Bernard of Clairvoux, Bridgewater:
Luke Rosato is an excellent student who exemplifies compassion for others and genuine heart for our faith. He is committed to partnering with our young ones to help them grow in faith. Abby Hanifin is a joyful and kind girl who is on fire for the Lord. She is an example of someone who is faithful and committed to achieve what she sets out to do.
St. Edward the Confessor, Milford:
Cadence Wojcik has spent her teen years feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, attending to the needs in our parish and using her God given talents assisting in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass lending her voice to song and lecturing. She has been an inspiration to her peers while propagating the faith through these activities.
St. Mary, Alpha:
Katherine Haley has been a youth group leader for three years, an altar server since 4th grade, and a helper in our Religious Education program for five years. Michael Testani has been a youth group leader for the last two years and is very active at his high school. In addition he has recently become an usher.
St. Joseph High School, Metuchen:
Wyatt Kovacs is a man of faith who desires nothing more than to help others the way Christ did, with love and compassion all the while making sure they feel seen and valued. Wyatt is a great example of Christian servant leadership. Luke McCabe is a young Catholic man dedicated to serving Christ through serving others in a multitude of ways. He always serves with compassion, love, and a dedication to carry out Jesus’ Great Commission.
Our Lady of Mount Virgin, Middlesex:
Aidan Anonuevo exemplifies what it means to live life as a Catholic. He has hundreds of hours of service to his Church, the homeless, fellow peers and young students. He goes out of his way to lead by example and with a heart as Jesus teaches us. Brieanna Wergland serves her Church consistently and respectfully. She is family and faith centered at all times.
Sacred Heart, South Amboy:
Paige Cleary exemplifies what it is to be Christ-like by her charitable ways, her interaction in the church and local community. Paige is selfless and exudes an image of a young person who is Christ-like in her actions.
Immaculata High School, Somerville:
Joseph Cummins has consistently lived his faith through service and prayer in his high school years, compiling a total of 1,033 service hours. He is the kind of volunteer that makes program leaders call us to compliment how respectful, dedicated and generous he was in the work he did. At the root of his work is his love for Jesus and desire to follow Christ’s example of putting others before self. Chloe Polk lives her life guided by Church teachings and closely follows the example of Jesus to love all people and meet them where they are in their life journey.
Her own spiritual, social and emotional development has been formed based on the value she sees in others around her and the ways she prioritizes putting love into action. She lives this out by remaining dedicated to the Pro-Life movement, service to the poor in Appalachia and consistent daily tasks of showing up for those in need.
Sts. Peter and Paul, Great Meadows:
Magdalyn Pilny is easy to brag about. Besides being a super intelligent human (National, Science, Math, Tri-M, Spanish, Social Studies Honor Societies) she has a heart of gold. Maggie loves helping anyone who needs it, old and young alike, and steps up all the time. Most importantly, she loves God and others with all her heart. Maggie truly is as beautiful in the inside as she is on the outside.
Blue
OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA
Our Lady then revealed the devotion, which consoles her heart, and made a great promise to those who practice it: “I promise to assist at the hour of death, with all the graces necessary for salvation to all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall…
• confess
• receive Holy Communion
• recite five decades of the Rosary
• keep me company for 15 minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary with the intention of making reparation to me.”
The Vatican has declared an Extraordinary Marian Jubilee Year to honor 100 years of the First Saturday Devotion, given to Sister Lucia in 1925. The National Blue Army Shrine is an official pilgrimage site, the only location outside Spain.
Visit, pray, and obtain a plenary indulgence for yourself or souls in Purgatory. Learn more about this Extraordinary Marian Jubilee: bluearmyshrine.com/marian-jubilee
For anyone who takes medicines for a chronic ailment, it is imperative to have periodic check-ups with the physician who prescribed these in order to monitor the effectiveness of the medicines and to make sure that we are not suffering from any side-effects. More importantly, we must make sure that these drugs are doing what these are meant to do to keep us in relatively good health. This is especially true for people who have chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, arthritis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, BPH or even anxiety or depression.
Doctors of the Church have long proposed that there is a correlation between sin and estrangement from God. The theory is the more we sin, the further we distance ourselves from God. And both Scripture and Tradition seem to confirm this theory.
In today’s Gospel, nobody denies that the man born blind was healed by Jesus. His disciples are perplexed and ask the Lord if this blindness was the result of his parents’ sins or stemmed from something which the blind man had done.
Lent is a time to undergo a spiritual exam of our soul by the Divine Physician
evangelist, John, Jesus declares that this blindness was an ideal opportunity for a “sign,” a Johannine term which means a “miracle,” in this case, a healing, through which the works of God might become visible in the person of Jesus.
But the Pharisees and Scribes are incensed because this “miraculous work” of Jesus took place on the Sabbath. What a paradox, notes John! It’s as if a boat crossing the Galilee is sinking, Jesus is keeping it afloat and the Pharisees are
I participated in the Easter Vigil for the first time in 1960. I was nine years old and in fourth grade, and the fourth-grade students were the youngest who could join the boys’ and girls’ choirs in our parish school. The two choirs alternated singing the High Mass on Sundays. We girls were jealous because the boys’ choir sang the
worried about deck furniture! Blinded by their anger, they miss the miracle. Instead, they began an interrogation of the man born blind and his parents to uncover more about the identity of this seemingly master of “kabala,” this miracle-worker who apparently had no regard for the Third Commandment.
As a speculative theologian, it would seem to me that the real miracle was not the restoration of sight, but the discovery of faith in Jesus by the man born blind. He comes to acknowledge what the religious authorities just can’t see: Jesus is the Messiah!
Like the physical exam, Confession reveals what are sometimes hidden and potentially dangerous sins that we have repressed, sins that separate us from God and each other, sins which make us blind to the truth about our actual standing with God. Just as the physical exam can control a chronic illness, so Confession can screen and heal our soul of any undetected sins, thereby empowering us to re-discover our faith in Jesus, as had the man born blind.
There are only two more weeks of Lent, so let’s choose to undergo a spiritual exam of our soul by the Divine Physician, Jesus Christ, through the vehicle of a priest in the confessional. For the longer we stay away from this sacrament, the worse the health of our soul becomes and the further we estrange ourselves from the ground of our being, who is God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Confession may have no bearing on controlling a chronic disease which has afflicted our bodies but it will prevent the loss of eternal life, which is heavenly to achieve but hell to lose.
Father Comandini serves as diocesan coordinator of the Office for Ongoing Faith Formation.
Christmas Midnight Mass, and we didn’t think they deserved it!
But we got our revenge a couple of months later, for we girls were chosen to sing the Easter Vigil, which was much more demanding than the Christmas Midnight Mass! It was only four years since Pius XII had definitively established the Easter Vigil during the night before Easter Sunday. In 1960, it was three hours long and all in Latin. At a final rehearsal on Holy Saturday morning, the liturgical powers-that-be in the parish added another piece of music for us to learn at the last minute, 14 verses long and in Latin, of course. That night, we girls came through the musical marathon magnificently!
Since then, I have participated in some four or five dozen Easter Vigils in various places and languages. The liturgy has become familiar to me, and I know the development well. And that is a great pity.
Easter celebrates the greatest mystery of our faith, and a mystery should never become familiar. Not really, totally
familiar. We should never know a mystery so well that it loses its wonder, its hidden richness, its ability to surprise us and draw us out of our familiar surroundings and ways of thinking into a world that is different and yet uncannily homelike.
I am thinking about this now, during this Lent, in preparation for another Easter Vigil in a few weeks because I am offered an opportunity to see this mystery with new eyes. Olivia, a young woman who emailed us a few months ago, is coming into the Church at the Easter Vigil on April 4th.
We won’t be there to witness it, of course, but just knowing that this Lent is a time of special preparation for Olivia has awakened me to the fact that it should be a special time of preparation for me, also. In the early Church, the Sacrament of Baptism was also called “enlightenment” and “illumination” because of the graces given. “Having received in Baptism the Word, ‘the true light that enlightens every man,’ the person baptized has been ‘enlightened,’ he becomes a ‘son of light,’ indeed, he becomes ‘light’ himself.” (CCC #1216)
It has been a long, long time since I was baptized as a baby. At the time, without realizing it, I received the light of faith. Hopefully, that light has illumined my life, but how much have I been aware of its illumination? How much have I let the radiance of grace be “a lamp for my feet and a light on my path?”
The catechumens at the Easter Vigils around the world are coming to Baptism in the awareness that they are receiving a great grace. They are walking into the mystery with their eyes open, though not yet accustomed to the light that it contains. They are preparing themselves to be enlightened.
Can I do the same? During this time of Lent, can I let God renew the spiritual vision of my heart? It is said that “Familiarity breeds contempt.” I don’t know about that, but familiarity can far too easily breed a numbness that kills wonder. Can I set aside the familiar thoughts, ideas and images of Easter Vigils from the past and do what I can to be open to what is beyond “the heart of man to conceive?” Can I let myself be so renewed in grace that I can walk in wonder amid the glory that is prepared for us?
Yet Jesus said, “I make all things new.” That includes me. He can make me and my perceptions new and then I can see his glory.
Sister Gabriela of the Incarnation is a member of the Discalced Carmelites order in Flemington. Learn more at www. flemingtoncarmel.org.
February 2, 2026 Feast of the Presentation
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Consecrated Life,
Blessed World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life!
On this day, I want to thank you for the ways you have enriched our Diocese of Metuchen within the rhythm of your prayers and good works. Together you, our Priests, Brothers, Sisters, Nuns, Consecrated Virgins, and Anchoress reflect the Father’s love. In your varied missions, you accompany all people, men and women, young and old, successful and struggling, rich and poor, single and married, showing them love and hope.
On behalf of all the Diocese of Metuchen, let me wish you a great day as we offer prayers of praise and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father for you. With every sacrifice you make you lift high the cross of Christ, proclaiming His love anew.
In your kindness, I would ask that you please pray for me in this work as Administrator. But most urgently, please pray that The Holy Spirit guides Pope Leo in giving us the shepherd we need. Lastly, be assured of my prayers and gratitude for you always.
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Very Reverend Jonathan S. Toborowsky Diocesan Administrator
enjoyed observing them at St. Matthew Church and watching one of the sisters with a dog at their convent.
Sister Maria Derecola, OSF, was born and raised in Stowe, Pa. She attended St. Gabriel Elementary School, St. Pius X High School, Montgomery County Community College and Moravian College.
She professed her first vows as a School Sister of St. Francis in Bethlehem, Pa. on September 5, 1976.
Sister Maria has spent the majority of her vocation in religious life as a teacher, with time spent teaching primary school at Saints Cyril and Methodist School, Bethlehem, Pa.; St. Ann School, Emmaus, Pa.; St. Theresa School, Hellertown, Pa.; and St. Francis Day Care Center, Bethlehem, Pa. She presently teaches in the Diocese of Metuchen at St. Matthias School, Somerset, where she has spent 17 years.
“I feel the greatest part of my vocation is the day by day relationship I have with Jesus, and how I share that love with others,” said Sister Maria. “Being with the children, teachers and parents brings me much joy and is truly a blessing in my life.”
She continued, “I truly believe that God places us where we are supposed to be. Being a member of a Franciscan community has been special in my life. Sharing Franciscan values with my other
While she first entered the congregation in 1966, she had to step away for a time. After taking some courses at Villanova and Glassboro State College and serving as a nurse’s aide at the Greenbriar Nursing Home, Woodbury, in 1976 she was accepted at Immaculate Conception Novitiate in Cherry Hill. Her first profession of vows was made a year later in 1977, and her final profession was on August 15, 1982.
Sister Joseph recalls the difficulty of being away from the congregation for a time, and how she was constantly drawn back to her vocation.
“The parting time was endless to me,” she recalled. “Once Jesus and the Blessed Mother call upon you for your calling, it almost impossible to want to leave.”
During her time in the congregation, Sister Joseph also completed further studies to become a licensed practical nurse from Camden County Vocational.
She went on to serve as a licensed practical nurse at St. Mary’s Home until 1993, when she joined the team at St. Joseph Senior Home and Nursing Center, Woodbridge. She began her tenure in Woodbridge as a nurse, before becoming an activity director for some 30 years. She presently continues to work in the activity department there, and has additional qualifications in occupational therapy.
Sister Judith Mary Ann Marshall, LISC 50 Years
Whenreflecting on her 50 years as a member of the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, Sister Judith Mary Ann Marshall is filled with gratitude and joy.
Sister Mary Ann was born in Schenectady, N.Y. and graduated from Linton High School – now Schenectady High School. She worked in a 500-bed hospital while going to school, and after graduation worked as a nurse’s aide at St. Clare’s Catholic Hospital, which was staffed by the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. She had been discerning her vocation for a long time, and attending Mass at the Carmelite Monastery inspired her to become a secular Carmelite as a postulant.
“I felt my vocation grow daily and wanted to give my life to Jesus,” she said. “I felt my vocation to want to be a sister even in fourth grade, and remembering saying to my mother, ‘When I grow up I want to be a nun.’”
Sister Mary Ann continued her work at the hospital, before working in another after she moved to Buffalo, N.Y. She visited other convents, eventually meeting the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. They invited her to meet their Provincial in Woodbridge, who she recalls welcoming her and making her feel at home. She decided to join the order and professed her first vows in 1978.
coordinator before spending six years as a superior of the St. Mary’s Convent. Later assignments included serving as an administrator of the order’s independent living facility and eventually joining the team at St. Joseph Senior Home and Nursing Center, Woodbridge, as an infection preventionist.
In addition to this ministry, Sister Mary Ann teaches CCD at St. Thomas Syro Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Somerset, where she quickly fell in love with their liturgies.
“Being part of this beautiful church with the Indian families, I have been blessed in many ways for the past 15 years,” she shared. “It’s been such a wonderful privilege working and teaching the First Holy Communion in preparing the children to receive Jesus.”
She was also able to visit India in 2019 as a pilgrim and relished the opportunity to visit the Saints of India and witness the devotion of faithful there. “As a Golden Jubilarian, I am filled with gratitude with all those wonderful people who came into my life during the various ministries,” she said.
Sister Joseph is described by her congregation as “a straightforward and practical religious, dedicated to her calling as a religious, (and) conscientious at work with a regard for people and esteem for her living brothers and their
Her first assignment was teaching elementary school at Our Lady of Lourdes School, Milltown, during which time she continued to go to school in the evenings. She taught for five years, while also persevering to finish nursing school and pursue her dream. After graduation, she was assigned
Sister Maria Zdzislawa Krukowska, LISC 25Years
Sister Maria Zdzislawa Krukowska is grateful for her quarter-decade vocation with the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, an order that connects in a special way to her
For the next three years, Sister Maria served as an independent living administrator at The Manor, at St. Mary’s Catholic Home, Cherry Hill. Since August 26, 2011, she has served in her current assignment as an independent living administrator at St. Joseph Senior Home and Nursing Center, Woodbridge.
“With God’s grace I continue to serve His people, and it is a desire of my heart to remain faithful to the spirituality and charism of our father founder, Blessed Edmund Bojanowski,” said Sister Maria. “The consecrated life for me is a great gift and mystery. It is also a challenge, discerning and fulfilling God’s will every day in ordinary activities”
In a reflection on her vocation that Sister Maria wrote in December 2001 while she was still a postulant, she recalled being raised in a Catholic family in Pomerania, northwest of Poland. She wrote about a bus pilgrimage to Częstochowa that her mother arranged in 1973, “to thank Our Lady of Częstochowa for all the graces I had received for my entire life.”
She wrote, “This was my first face-to-face encounter with the Blessed Mother Mary of Częstochowa.”
In her reflection, Sister Maria recalled attending an Ignatian retreat in 1988, and thereafter attending Mass more frequently. She also wrote about a December 1999 visit to the Holy Land, where she walked the same paths as Jesus.
Sister Maria wrote about how she answered God’s call to religious life, and how she was drawn to the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception because of her Polish heritage. She also noted that she was drawn to the traditional habits worn by members of the order, as well as the congregation’s work of caring for children, the sick and those in need.
“I thank God for the gift of my vocation, the Holy Spirit for the grace that, with the freedom of my heart, I responded positively to Christ’s call,” she wrote in the 2001 reflection.
In a recent interview reflecting on the 25th anniversary of her vocation, Sister Maria expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, and her hope to share the love she has received with others.
“In this Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi, may God’s love fill my heart to the brim, overflow, pour out, radiate and be reflected on the faces of those to whom I am sent,” she said.
Sister Maria Goretti Nguyen was born in Vietnam and came to the United States 33 years ago. She entered the Sisters of Christian Charity in Mendham in 2000 and received her religious name in 2001. Sister Maria professed her first vows in 2003 and her final vows in 2009, both in the Chapel of Mary Immaculate, at the Motherhouse of the North American Province of the Sisters of Christian Charity, Mendham.
“I am grateful to God and to the SCC for giving me the opportunities to serve at various ministries – at parochial schools, at hospitals and at parishes,” said Sister Maria, “in Dioceses of Metuchen, Paterson, Newark and Scranton, Pa., (and) as (an) office support staff member, secretary, teacher, and pastoral associate.”
In the Diocese of Metuchen, she previously served as secretary at Our Lady of Fatima School, Piscataway, and presently serves as pastoral associate at Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, South Plainfield.
“The greatest part of my vocation is that I feel privileged to use God’s given Gifts to me to minister (to) God’s people,” she said, adding that her motto comes from Matthew 10:8: “Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give.”
Sister Maria expressed her appreciation to the Sisters of Christian Charity for supporting her vocation.
“I have the honor to minister among the English-speaking communities as well as the Vietnamese apostolate,” she said, “to be able to work with the adults and the youth, (and) to learn, to share and to cherish the beauty and uniqueness of each culture and each person.”
Throughouta teaching career which spanned many decades and straddled two New Jersey dioceses, Mercy Sister Valerie Balbach inspired thousands of young minds and souls to draw closer to their creator.
Born in Newark as Doris Balbach, she was influenced by the Sisters of Mercy at St. Ann School, Keansburg, and Red Bank Catholic High School. Her high school French teacher inspired her to become a religious, and the now Sister Valerie entered the order Sept. 21, 1941. She majored in French at Georgian Court College (now University), Lakewood, then earned a master’s degree in elementary education from Seton Hall University, South Orange.
Sister Valerie was stationed at numerous elementary schools in her first decade as a teacher, including St. Joseph School, Trenton; St. Francis Cathedral School, Metuchen; St. Paul School, Burlington, and Holy Spirit School, Atlantic City. In 1953, she began a six-year term as a teacher of French and History at Phillipsburg Catholic High School before taking up the reins of St. Elizabeth School, Bernardsville, as principal.
In addition to assignments at Our Lady of Victories School, Sayreville, and St. Mary School, South Amboy, Sister Valerie served a total of five three-year terms as principal in St. Matthew School, Edison, and St. Paul School, Princeton, before serving as assistant administrator in St. Mary Academy, Lakewood.
Realizing she desired a change in direction, Sister Valerie decided to be proactive. She recalled, “When I left being a principal for the third time, I decided I wanted to do something different. This was the time [religious teachers] started looking for our own jobs; up to then, we were just assigned to places.”
sidering a life as a religious is simple, yet profound:
“Do a lot of praying, and seek the guidance you may receive from those prayers.”
A call to a religious friend in Lakewood in 1988 led her to an opening at her alma mater, one during which she had impact on an entirely different generation. “I thought, ‘I was guiding teachers for so many years, now I could tell them how to do it,’” Sister Valerie said. The lifelong educator spent the next 27 years at Georgian Court’s School of Education as instructor, director of student teachers and coordinator.
“It was wonderful, and a whole different atmosphere,” Sister Valerie recalled. “I got the chance to see many adults. Some of them didn’t have the personality to be teachers,” she said frankly, “so we pointed them in a different direction.”
Sister Valerie retired from active ministry in 2014 and now resides in Mount St. Mary Academy’s McAuley Hall. Asked to choose a favorite part of her ministry, she replied, “I enjoyed teaching very much, but anyplace I went I enjoyed.” Her advice to someone con-
Sister Rita McGurk, RSM 80 Years
Born in Atlantic City, the future
Mercy Sister Rita McGurk was schooled in the shore community’s Holy Spirit Grammar and High Schools. She entered her order Sept. 15, 1946, and went on to earn degrees in elementary education from Georgian Court College (now University), Lakewood, and Seton Hall University, South Orange, as well as a master’s degree in theology from LaSalle University in Pennsylvania.
Beginning her teaching ministry in 1948, Sister Rita served in Holy Cross School, Rumson; Our Lady of Victories School, Sayreville; St. Paul School, Princeton; St. Mary Academy, Lakewood; St. Joseph School, North Plainfield; St. John School, Paulsboro, and St. Mary School, South Amboy.
In 1973, she served three years as principal of Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Atlantic City; three years later, she taught on the high school level at Holy Spirit High School, Absecon, and Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill. A sabbatical preceded her role as a parish minister and religious educator in Pennsylvania. Returning to the Garden State, Sister Rita ministered as a pastoral assistant in St. Ann Parish, Raritan.
The religious sister volunteered at St. Joseph Convent, North Plainfield, then moved to Mount St. Mary Academy, Watchung, in 2001 to head the computer room support staff. Sister Rita spent 20 years as head of the copy and mail room, retired in 2025, and now serves in prayer and works of mercy at the school’s McAuley Hall Health Care Center.
Over the course of her eight decades of service, Mercy Sister Faith Moore’s relationship with Mount St. Mary Academy, Watchung, has come full circle.
One of nine children, she attended St. Mary School, Plainfield, then was sent to live and study at the Mount. She entered the community that had formed her Sept. 15, 1946, and gave her perpet
MercySister Mary Gomolka, now celebrating 75 years of religious service, has utilized her love of God and music to create an astounding symphony. Influenced by the example of religious teachers at Sacred Heart School and St. Mary High School, both in South Amboy, Mary decided to enter the Sisters of Mercy Sept. 8, 1951, and became a novice six months later.
to invite her to serve an additional two terms.
The religious retired once again to Mount Saint Mary Academy in 2013, where she is a member of the ministry of prayer. Her advice to a young woman contemplating a ministry as a religious is, “God calls and invites and speaks in whispers. Trust your heart and be honest in responding. Pray for wisdom, examine motives, seek a spiritual guide, and be willing to set aside all else to dedicate oneself to be a vowed follower of Christ in love and service. While there are no immediate guarantees,
Constance
Born in Philadelphia, Mercy Sister Constance Gleason attended Holy Spirit High School, Atlantic City, and continued her education at Georgian Court College (now University), Lakewood, and Rutgers University, New Brunswick. She entered into religious life on Sept. 8, 1956, then taught in St. Francis Cathedral School, Metuchen (1958-1959), and St. James School, Red served as principal of St. Joseph School,
The religious left the Garden Stateand volunteered at an outreach center in Sarasota from 2018-2024. She returned to Mount St. Mary, Watchung, upon her
Sister Joanna Theofila Mozdzen’s 70-year vocation as a member of the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception has including caring for others both spiritually and physically.
Sister Theophila was born Joanna
Sister Helena Romana Stepnik’s vocation has spanned seven decades, and her ministry has involved education and catechesis across the United States and around the world – including in Poland, South Africa and the Philippines.
MercySister Ellen Marie Robarge is a native of Worcester, Mass. She entered the order on Jan. 1, 1956, and chose as her motto “All for Jesus through Mary.” Sister Ellen worked in the Nazareth Home for Boys Orphanage in Leicester, Mass., before continuing her own education at Worcester State College, Worcester, Mass.
Jeanine served in numerous Catholic schools, including St. James, Woodbridge; St. Francis Cabrini, Piscataway; St. Matthew the Apostle, Edison; St. Paul, Burlington, and St. Joseph, North Plainfield. She was able to indulge her love of basketball by organizing and coaching the first girls basketball team at St. Francis Cathedral School, Metuchen, and coaching the girls’ team at St. Pius X High School, Piscataway.
Following a one-year sabbatical in Massachusetts, Sister Jeanine returned to New Jersey and changed her focus to serving as a guidance counsellor in St. Joseph School, North Plainfield; St. Mary High School, Perth Amboy; Holy Spirit High School, Absecon; Red Bank Catholic High School, and St. Mary Academy, Lakewood.
In 1988, Sister Jeanine began work as an outreach worker at Asbury Park’s Mercy Center, distributing clothes and food to those in need. Her next ministry was working with her alma mater, Georgian Court University. The religious sister served as a computer lab staff member, academic computer writing assistant, and administrative specialist. She retired in 2011 to volunteer at McAuley Health Care Center, Watchung.
Trenton, to become a registered nurse, and served in that role at the Atlantic City Hospital from 1971 to 1972.
Sister Theophila went on to serve as a registered nurse at her congregation’s Strawberry Hill Senior Citizen Day Center, Woodbridge, for several years before becoming the novice mistress at Immaculate Conception Novitiate in Cherry Hill from 1975 to 1977.
From 1977 to 1991, Sister Theophila answered her congregation’s call to support missions in Zambia, Africa, where she provided healthcare services as a nurse and laboratory technician.
After her return to the United States, Sister Theophila served at the St. Joseph Senior Home and Nursing Center, Woodbridge. She retired to the Provincialate in Cherry Hill in 2010, before returning to St. Joseph as a resident in 2014.
Her order describes Sister Theophila as someone who has served her entire life with “prayer, joyfulness, and eagerness to share the Good News of Jesus.”
catechist in the United States, in 1987, Sister Helena began her service in Johannesburg, South Africa, during which time she served as a catechist and an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. She spent nine years as superior of the convent there, in addition to serving as principal of the Children’s Center and Nursery School in Johannesburg. She was instrumental in the opening of a school for the deaf and two other evangelization missions, where she also sent members of her order.
Sister Helena returned to the United States in 1998, with assignments in New Jersey and Pennsylvania – including a year as superior of the convent in Clifton Heights, Pa. She went on to spend five years in the Philippines, opening a child learning center in Manila before returning to the U.S. in 2014 and being assigned to the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida. Her ministry there included visiting and spreading God’s word to prisoners.
While Sister Helena is retired, she continues to provide pastoral care at St. Joseph Senior Home and Nursing Center, Woodbridge.
The religious dedicated the next 32 years of her ministry to education, teaching primarily in elementary schools in the Worcester Diocese before relocating to Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., in 1984. Sister Ellen first served as assistant to the president of the Sisters of Mercy; a year later, she served as the order’s community archivist in Marian Woods, Hartsdale, N.Y., a collaborative effort among five religious communities to provide assisted and supportive living for their elder Sisters.
Sister Ellen retired in 2014, yet continued to volunteer there for another decade. In 2024, she moved to the Metuchen Diocese, where she resides and volunteers at McAuley Hall Health Care Center in Watchung.
MaureenConroy entered the Mercy Sisters on Sept. 8, 1966. Her educational background includes a master’s degree in divinity from a seminary and a doctorate in ministry from St. Mary University, Baltimore, as well as two certificates in spiritual direction and numerous certificates in various health and holistic modalities.
She is the author of numerous articles and five books, including “The Discerning Heart: Discovering a Personal God;” “Looking into the Well: Supervision of Spiritual Directors,” and “Experiencing God’s Tremendous Love: Entering into Relational Prayer.”
Sister Maureen served as a teacher in 1971-1979, first in Cathedral High School, Trenton, then Mount St. Mary Academy, Watchung. In 1979, she became co-director of the Upper Room Spiritual Center, New Monmouth. Then in 1984, she was a student in the center for religious development in Somerville, Mass., in preparation for her next challenge – a return to the Upper Room as co-director for 40 years.
Sister Maureen moved to McAuley Hall Health Care Center, Watchung, in 2025.
Not surprisingly, her advice to a young woman contemplating the religious life touches upon the field of spiritual direction. “Sort out your desires, what would you want to be,” Sister Maureen recommended. “Find a spiritual director, find a religious community.”
Sister Martha Ginaine, SMIC 60 Years
Sister Martha Ginaine was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and entered the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in West Paterson on September 12, 1954. Her first profession of vows was on June 16, 1954, and her perpetual profession was on August 15, 1959.
Sister Margaret Reid was born in East Orange, and entered her order on September 12, 1954, in West Paterson. She professed her first vows as a Missionary Sister of the Immaculate Conception on June 16, 1956, and took her final vows on August 15, 1959. Her vocation has brought her to multiple states and has involved a wide variety of roles, beginning with teaching at several schools in Texas from 1958 through 1975. She later lived and worked at the Holy Family Residence, West Paterson, holding various positions until 1982. She spent the next two years as a nursing student at Passaic Community College and spent the following year as a staff nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Paterson.
From 1984 until 1992, Sister Margaret served as an infirmarian at Immaculate Conception Convent, West Paterson, before spending the next five years as a nurse at St. Vincent Nursing Home, Montclair.
Her vocation has brought her to assignments all across the United States, with teaching roles ranging from primary schools to colleges, and even a women’s correctional facility.
Sister Martha began teaching in 1960 at St. Ann’s in Midland, Texas, where she spent a decade before returning to the East Coast to teach at Tombrock College, West Paterson, for four years. She went on to spend a year teaching at St. Agnes High School
Sister Margaret went on to serve in leadership roles in the Missionary Sisters, spending three years each as provincial and assistant provincial. From 2004 until 2010, she served as nursing home liaison for the Missionary Sisters in Watchung, and she retired in 2015.
“This journey was an unspeakable treasure – God never let me down,” said Sister Margaret. “I thank all who were part of my journey. I needed all of you.”
to the following Sisters of Mercy who are celebrating their jubilees this year in the Diocese of Metuchen:
Sister Mary Valerie Balbach, RSM 85 years
Sister Rita McGurk, RSM 80 years
Sister Mary Faith Moore, RSM 80 years
Sister Mary Gomolka, RSM 75 years
Sister Rosetta Buckley, RSM 70 years
Sister Constance Gleason, RSM 70 years
Sister Marie Keating, RSM 70 years
Sister Jeanine Oliver, RSM 70 years
Sister Ellen Robarge, RSM 70 years
Sister Maureen Conroy, RSM 60 years
Share the mission of Mercy www.sistersofmercy.org
Prayerful
congratulations to
Sr. Maria Goretti Nguyen, SCC,
The universal call to contemplation is a call from God to all of us who seek to live a contemplative life, whatever our vocation. Our website offers a place for discussion, with articles and podcasts, and a place for prayers at Contemplatives for Life. Please visit seekingthefaceofgod.org
The Carmel of Immaculate Mary and St. Mary of Magdalene, Flemington
The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Flemington follow the ideal of life established by St. Teresa of Avila to support the Church by their contemplative lives of prayer.
The faculty, staff and students of St. Matthias School, Somerset, NJ, extend our warmest congratulations to Sister Maria Derecola, OSF, on your Golden Jubilee.
Thank you for 50 years of devoted service to the Church. May the Lord continue to bless you abundantly with grace, happiness and joy.
Sung Mass in Latin Sunday April 12th, 2026 - 3:15pm
Confessions: 1:30pm - 3pm
Divine Mercy Chaplet: 3pm
Saint John Vianney Church 420 Inman Ave, Colonia NJ
“For the LORD is my strength and my might, and he has been my salvation.”
Isaiah 12:2
ST. MATTHIAS SCHOOL 170 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Somerset, NJ 08873
By Jill Kerekes, Special Contributor
An enthusiastic group of about 40 catechists and parish catechetical leaders gathered at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center in Piscataway Feb. 28, for a presentation by Dr. Kathie Amidei entitled “A Catechist’s Guide to Engaging Parents and Families.” As the title suggests, the goal of the presentation was to enlighten the catechists and PCLs about the importance of parent and family involvement in parish catechetical formation programs and to provide practical tips, ideas, and resources for our parish programs in the Diocese of Metuchen to foster parent and family involvement.
Dr. Amidei has more than 30 years of experience as a parish catechetical leader in a parish in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee that utilizes an integrated family faith formation model. In addition, Dr. Amidei’s doctoral dissertation focused on family and faith community factors that impact faith development.
The fruits of her extensive practical experience combined with her focus on data driven strategies have led to the acknowledgement of her expertise in family faith formation at a national level. Not only does Dr. Amidei speak at national conferences and diocesan and parish
events, she also serves as a consultant for several parishes around the country that are in the development stage of restructuring their catechetical formation programs to include increased parent and family involvement. Her expertise was well received at this event.
The presentation began with Dr. Amidei providing a brief explanation as to why a parish should consider transforming their current parish catechetical formation program into a program based on a family faith formation model. Citing several magisterial documents as well as current research and statistics, Dr. Amidei clearly communicated the priority of the parentto-child relationship in catechesis while also emphasizing that the parish is also a “source, locus, and means” of systematic and organic catechesis. In other words, it is not an “either/or” approach in terms of home and parish, it is a “both/and”.
Along with providing several resources and practical hands-on activities, Dr. Amidei discussed many of the elements of the integrated family faith formation model that is currently being utilized in her own parish of St. Anthony on the Lake in Pewaukee, Wis. This three-part model, known as “Transform!” combines community fellowship, intergenerational activities, and age specific formation.
Dr. Amidei reports that her program is growing and she sees much good fruit in both the heightened family and adult involvement in parish worship, formation, and outreach within the faith formation program as well as in parish life outside of the faith formation program.
In terms of community fellowship, each “Transform!” session begins with an intentional “Gather” time wherein families share a snack or meal together with other families to foster social and community building. The session continues with the “Guide” segment, which involves a parish guided family activity that includes prayer, discussion, faith practices, and service activities. Each two hour “Transform!” session ends with an hour long “Grow” component which entails age specific formation for all participants. The children are separated by age and participate in classroom style parish catechesis led by parish catechists utilizing standard curriculum resources while the parents gather in a separate area for adult level faith formation that includes discussion on topics such as parenting, faith, communication, and family life. This family faith formation model provides support for parents to be both teachers and learners, allowing them to become more confident and competent in
Top left, Dr. Kathie Amidei, parish catechetical leader in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, led a discussion on engaging parents and families in the catechetical process. Top right, Shannon Rossi, OSV account executive, reviews materials that support family engagement with catechists and PCLs, below.
—John Batkowski photos
the roles of first catechist and first Christian witness to their children.
Catechists and parish catechetical leaders were encouraged by Jill Kerekes, director of the Office of Discipleship Formation for Children, to take advantage of the information from Dr. Amidei’s presentation and begin thinking about ways in which their parish catechetical programs can strive to have more parent involvement. The goal is to shift their programs in the direction of a “partnership with parents” approach.
For more information about the family faith formation model at Dr. Amidei’s parish: https://www.stanthony.cc/ family-program.
Jill Kerekes serves as diocesan director, Office of Discipleship Formation for Children
“You promised, nanny!” are painful words for a grandmother to hear.
A broken promise is a disappointment, and few things feel heavier than having disappointed someone, especially someone so very much loved.
Those words bring back childhood memories of standing at the glass door sobbing hysterically for an hour or more because my dad left without me when he had promised to take me with him on errands. If I just waited there long enough, I thought, he would surely come back,
but he didn’t. It was my fault because I wouldn’t get ready to leave. He told me he would leave if I wasn’t ready in time. The time came, I wasn’t ready, so he left.
A small disappointment, one might say, but it was something that hurt more than I could have imagined and taught me a lot about the power of disappointment. Did I learn a lesson about being ready on time? Yes, but I learned more about how it feels to be left behind, and that has impacted my life in many ways.
Just the word disappointment car-
ries a quiet ache. Many of us would rather overextend ourselves, stay silent, or say “yes” when we mean “no” rather than risk seeing that flicker of hurt in another person’s eyes. Yet, learning that we sometimes need to disappoint others and, also, accept disappointment ourselves, is essential for our emotional growth.
The experience of disappointment is a human dilemma, one that even Jesus experienced.
How often must he have been disappointed by those who misunderstood him, especially those closest to him, like Peter, who, in the midst of a crisis, denied Jesus three times. Or John the Baptist, who, while imprisoned, sent messengers asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Jesus also disappointed others. Many expected a political Messiah who would overthrow Roman rule. When Jesus refused to conform to those expectations, some walked away. In John 6, after he teaches about being the “bread of life,” many disciples say, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” and they leave.
As a mother, I am always touched by the story in Luke, which shares, “While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing
outside, wanting to speak to you.’
“He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’”
Surely, Mary, as his mother, must have been disappointed. Perhaps she even felt left behind. But Jesus was not rejecting his family. With his choice, he redefined “belonging” around obedience to God’s will. It was a moment that may have been confusing, and no doubt hurtful, yet it reflects his clarity of purpose – something each of us must uncover for ourselves.
Jesus also shows us that within disappointment there is the opportunity for healing and growth.
Jesus did not cast Peter away. After the Resurrection, Jesus restored him gently, asking three times, “Do you love me?” Peter’s failure was real, but it was not final. Disappointment did not end the relationship; it deepened it. And Peter became the rock.
Remembered as a man who loved family and the fraternity of his brother priests, the life of Msgr. Richard J. Lyons was celebrated at his funeral Mass March 3. Bishop Emeritus Paul G. Bootkoski served as principal celebrant for the Mass at St. John the Evangelist Church, Dunellen, the parish Msgr. Lyons served for 22 years as pastor. Father Jonathan S. Toborowsky, diocesan administrator, concelebrated along with Father Alphonsus Kariuki, pastor, and a number of priests
By Deacon Patrick Cline, Correspondent
from Metuchen and other dioceses. Father Brian J. Nolan served as homilist.
In his homily, Father Nolan, who knew Msgr. Lyons for 40 years, said, “The center of Richard’s spiritual life was the Rosary, a prayer that walks through the mysteries of joy, sorrow and glory in the life of Jesus and his Blessed Mother.”
Father Nolan said that although Msgr. Lyons, “could initially appear reserved or cerebral he was truly a joyous person who loved being a parish priest. His work in the marriage tribunal was a great joy. It was never about procedures or paperwork. It was about healing. He understood that each case carried stories of loss, confusion and wounded love. He believed deeply in the Church’s role in helping people find peace and restoring souls to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist.”
But the Rosary, Father Nolan reminded the congregation, does not remain in joy alone. “There were moments when life in the Church was difficult for him,” Msgr. Lyons said, “He bore the weight of his declining health, beginning with a heart transplant in 2009 and continuing through severe COVID and a broken femur in 2021. He also grieved
5 4 3 2
Church’s role in helping people find peace and restoring souls to the sacraments …” —Hal Brown photos
the loss of his parents and of many close friends over the years.”
Msgr. Nolan continued, “But it is meditating on the Glorious Resurrection that brings us here today. We gather in the hope of that same Resurrection which is the heart of our Christian faith. As St. Paul reminds us, ‘If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain.’ But Christ is risen and so has Richard Lyons.”
Monsignor Lyons was born in Red Bank, the second child of Mildred and Frank J. Lyons and is survived by his older brother, Francis. He attended public elementary and high schools in Atlantic Highlands where he was raised.
He graduated from Seton Hall University with a bachelor’s degree in classical languages and received a Master of Divinity degree in pastoral theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington in 1975.
He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Trenton on May 18, 1974, at St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral by Bishop George Ahr. Msgr. Lyons also received a master’s degree in homiletics from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1975.
With the erection of the Diocese of Metuchen in 1981, Father Lyons was asked to pursue a Licentiate in Canon Law at The Catholic University of America in order to establish a Diocesan Tribunal. He served as the associate judicial vicar for 15 years before becoming judicial vicar in 2001.
Over the years Msgr. Lyons’ parochial assignments were as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Parish, Somerville; Sacred Heart Parish, South Plainfield, and St. Matthew Parish, Edison. In 1986 he was named administrator of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Dunellen and became pastor in 1989,
serving the parish for 22 years. Msgr. Lyons was named a Chaplain to His Holiness by Pope Francis in 2016 and retired from active ministry in 2020.
Father Sean Winters, coordinator of hospital chaplains, and a friend of Msgr. Lyons for more than 20 years, remembers him as a good priest and great listener. “He was a hard worker even in retirement, saying Masses and helping at the Tribunal as he was able.”
First cousins Jeffrey Stolarz and his sister Barbara were readers at his funeral Mass. Jeffrey remembers Msgr. Lyon as a person, “who was very friendly and accepted people as they were, never being judgmental.” The three cousins made an effort to spend Mondays together going to a movie or for dinner. This continued even as his health worsened and was, “a special time for each of them.”
Following the Mass interment was at Resurrection Cemetery, Piscataway.
Each week in parishes across the Diocese of Metuchen, voices raised in song help guide the faithful in prayer and deepen the experience of the liturgy. For the musicians who serve Hispanic communities, that ministry is both a gift and a vocation.
That spirit of service brought together more than 90 music ministers from 12 parishes for a day of retreat and formation dedicated to deepening the spirituality and mission of music ministry within the liturgy.
The event, titled “Becoming What We Proclaim: Singing the Wonders of the Lord through Music Ministry,” was organized by the diocesan Office of Hispanic Evangelization. Choir directors, singers and instrumentalists gathered to reflect on their calling as ministers who help lead the faithful in prayer through sacred music. This marked the third con-
secutive year the Diocese has offered this formation opportunity for parish music ministers serving Hispanic communities.
Deacon Edgar Chaves welcomed participants and introduced the guest presenters, emphasizing the importance of ongoing formation for those who serve the Church through music. The retreat featured presenters from the Asociación de Músicos Pastorales Hispanos de Estados Unidos (AMPHE): Damaris Thillet, president of the organization; Dr. Judy Cruz-Ransom, vice president; and Father Miguel A. Trinidad Fonseca, D.S.M., the association’s spiritual advisor.
Throughout the gathering, presenters invited participants to reflect on the deeper meaning of their ministry and the role music plays in the life of the Church. Drawing inspiration from the Magnificat “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord” Father Trinidad encouraged musi-
cians to see their service not only as singing during the liturgy, but as a witness to the Gospel in daily life.
Participants also engaged in dialogue and reflection, sharing experiences and challenges they encounter while serving in their parish music ministries. These conversations fostered unity among musicians from different communities while encouraging collaboration and mutual support.
Formation sessions also addressed practical aspects of parish music ministry, including preparing music in harmony with the liturgy, strengthening communication within ministry teams and inviting new members to participate in parish choirs.
Participants expressed appreciation for the opportunity to grow both spiritually and pastorally in their ministry. Rafael Cepeda of St. John Paul II Church, Perth Amboy, said the gathering offered encouragement and valuable formation.
“It was a very enriching experience. I believe it is important to continue learning about the true meaning and mission of music within the liturgy,” he said.
Maribel Colón of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Perth Amboy, also highlighted the value of the formation offered during the retreat. She noted that the workshops helped participants better understand how music should be integrated into the liturgy. Through rehearsals and preparation, she explained, music ministers learn to coordinate songs with the readings and different moments of the Mass so that the music supports and enriches the prayer of the community.
The retreat concluded with a renewed invitation for participants to continue their service with joy and dedication, using the gift of music to help their communities lift their voices in prayer and proclaim the wonders of the Lord.
A family gathers belongings from their destroyed apartment in Tehran, Iran, March 12, 2026, following an airstrike amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. —OSV News/Alaa Al Marjani, Reuters
US-Israeli war on Iran is failing the Church’s just war test, bishops warn
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – Since the start of the U.S. and Israel’s war on Iran, some U.S. Catholic bishops have highlighted Church teaching on what constitutes a “just war” – with one cardinal flatly declaring the current conflict fails to meet the necessary criteria, and is therefore “morally illegitimate.” The Trump administration maintains the joint U.S.-Israeli attacks have been necessary to counter threats posed by Iran – but several American Catholic prelates have pushed back, either directly or indirectly, on that assertion while urging prayer, diplomacy and moral renewal. Two of the most explicit condemnations of the
As humanitarian crisis looms in Lebanon, Mideast Christians face uncertain future
BEIRUT (OSV News) – War across the Middle East and looming humanitarian crisis is triggering fresh fears for Chris tian communities in Lebanon and Iraq, as escalating violence drives displacement and deepens uncertainty about the future. In Lebanon, Israeli evacuation orders and heavy airstrikes targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah have forced nearly 700,000 people from their homes, according to the United Nations. Many Christians from villages in the south are fleeing to Beirut, while others remain, trying to protect their homes despite the danger. Aid workers say the situation is increasingly desperate. Michael Constantin of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association told OSV News some Christian villages are trapped between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters, with families sheltering displaced neighbors and relying on aid for water, fuel and communication. The
Birthright citizenship order to impact more than children of migrants, Senate panel hears
war in light of Catholic teaching have come from Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington and Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock, Arkansas. Both prelates detailed the Church’s just war criteria, and concluded that current U.S. actions in Iran have failed the test. Church teaching on just war has at its heart “an abiding resistance to war,” as part of Christ’s call to discipleship, said Cardinal McElroy. Ultimately, he said, “the moral questions that confront us today in Iran are part of a larger issue of moral renewal and dialogue that is deeply needed in our country that we reverence so profoundly.”
A child looks on as she and other children take part in activities March 11, 2026, at a school sheltering displaced civilians after an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the U.S. and Israel-Iran war in Beirut. —OSV News photo/Khalil Ashawi, Reuters
violence has also claimed lives, including a Maronite priest who stayed behind with his community. Meanwhile in northern Iraq, drone attacks near Irbil have heightened fears among Christians who still carry the trauma of the Islamic State’s 2014 invasion, raising concerns another wave of displacement could follow.
WASHINGTON (OSV News) – A Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration hearing held March 10 on President Donald Trump’s executive order to restrict access to birthright citizenship guaranteed in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, drilled down on what the amendment’s language regarding “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” meant when originally drafted. Trump’s executive order is the subject of a case, Trump v. Barbara, which is scheduled for oral argument at the Supreme Court April 1. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, arguing that ending the practice of birthright citizenship would weaken families and risk leaving children stateless, thereby making them targets for violence, trafficking and exploitation. “The executive order denies citizenship not just to the children of undocumented immigrants or tourists, but also to the children of people that have been legally present in the United States for years, who are applying for green cards, who maybe receive a green card the day after the child is born – doesn’t matter,” Amanda Frost, a law professor at the
University of Virginia School of Law, and director of its Immigration, Migration and Human Rights Program, said. “Under the executive order, that child is born a noncitizen, potentially stateless, denied all the benefits and privileges of citizenship, and theoretically, deportable on Day 1 of their life,” she added. “And then every single American family having a child will now have to prove their status before that child is considered a citizen by the U.S. government.”
A person walks past the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington Jan. 17, 2024. A Senate subcommittee held a hearing March 10, 2026, on birthright citizenship as Supreme Court prepares to hear a case on it, Trump v. Barbara, which is scheduled for oral argument April 1. —OSV News photo/Leah Millis, Reuters
After 900 years, monks of iconic French La Trappe Abbey consider leaving historic monastery
PARIS (OSV News) – After nine centuries of monastic life, the monks of La Trappe Abbey say they may leave their historic monastery in 2028, citing a sharp drop in vocations and the growing burden of maintaining the vast property. In a March 5 statement, the community stressed that the abbey is not closing or being sold and that the remaining brothers continue their daily rhythm of prayer and work. But after what they described as a “long period of discernment,” the monks acknowledged they are considering relocation and are exploring options with other communities.
Founded in the 12th century by Count Rotrou III, the abbey later became the birthplace of the Trappist reform under Armand Jean le Bouthillier de Rancé in the 1600s. Today only about a dozen monks remain in a monastery built for 100. The Diocese of Séez, to which the abbey belongs, has invited people to pray for them at this stage of their journey, referring to “their influence extending far beyond the diocese.” Across France, religious life is shrinking rapidly, with monastic communities aging and dozens of monasteries closing or changing hands each year.
By Courtney Mares, OSV News
Pope Leo XIV March 13 asked if Christian leaders who bear responsibility for war have the courage to humbly examine their consciences and seek the Sacrament of Confession.
He posed the question in a speech about the importance of regularly confessing one’s sins.
“One might ask: do those Christians who bear grave responsibility in armed conflicts have the humility and courage to undertake a serious examination of conscience and confess?” the Pope said in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall.
Pope Leo made the remarks during an audience at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace with participants in the 36th Course on the Internal Forum, an an-
nual training program for priests and seminarians organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary on issues connected with the sacrament of reconciliation.
The Pope lamented that too many Catholics are failing to take advantage of the mercy offered through confession.
“It is as if the infinite treasure of the Church’s mercy remained ‘unused,’ due to a widespread inattention among Christians who, not infrequently, remain in a state of sin for a long time rather than approach the confessional with simplicity of faith and heart to receive the gift of the Risen Christ,” he said.
Pope Leo noted that the Catholic Church established in 1215 that every Christian is required to make sacramental confession at least once a year, a norm later confirmed by the Second Vatican Council.
Invoking a treatise by St. Augustine, the Pope said that acknowledging one’s sins is being “’in harmony with God’” because “’God condemns your sins; and if you too condemn them, you unite yourself with God.’”
The Sacrament of Reconciliation, Pope Leo said, functions as a “laboratory of unity,” restoring a person’s relationship with God, generating inner peace,
Pope Leo XVI signs a book as he meets in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace March 13, 2026, with participants in the 36th Course on the Internal Forum, an annual training program for priests and seminarians organized by the Apostolic Penitentiary on issues connected with the sacrament of reconciliation. —OSV News photo/Mario Tomassetti, Vatican Media
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A Redemptorist Spiritual Center overlooking the Atlantic Ocean offering preached retreats, days of prayer and use of the facility for outside groups.
LOYOLA JESUIT CENTER
161 James Street • Morristown, NJ 07960 973-539-0740 • Fax: 973-898-9839 www.loyola.org • retreathouse@loyola.org
Retreats for lay men, women, priests, religious; days/evenings of prayer. Groups planning their own programs are welcome.
THE SHRINE OF ST. JOSEPH
1050 Long Hill Road, Stirling, NJ 07980 908-647-0208 • www.stshrine.org Day & Overnight Retreats Gift & Book Shop - open daily
ST. JOSEPH BY THE SEA
400 Route 35 North, S. Mantoloking, NJ 08738 732-892-8494 • sjbsea@comcast.net • sjbsea.org
A Retreat House Sponsored by the Religious Teachers Filippini overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay. Offering days of prayer, retreat weekends, spiritual programs, meetings and staff days.
infusing sanctifying grace and ultimately fostering reconciliation among people.
“Only a reconciled person is capable of living in a way that is both unarmed and disarming,” the Pope said. “Whoever lays down the weapons of pride and allows themselves to be continually renewed by God’s forgiveness becomes an agent of reconciliation in daily life.”
Pope Leo also spoke of what he called a hunger for “inner unity” among younger generations, saying that the “unfulfilled promises of unbridled consumerism” and a “freedom separated from truth” could, through divine mercy, become opportunities for evangelization. “By bringing to light a sense of unfulfillment, they prompt those existential questions to which only Christ can fully answer,” he added.
Addressing the future confessors, the Pope called the sacrament one of the most exalted tasks a priest could undertake, pointing to St. John Mary Vianney, St. Leopold Mandic, St. Pio of Pietrelcina and Blessed Michal Sopocko as models of how “priests have become saints in the confessional.”
“Dear young priests and seminarians, always be keenly aware of the most exalted task that Christ himself, through the Church, entrusts to you: to restore people’s unity with God through the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation,” he said.
“A priest’s entire life can be fully realized by celebrating this Sacrament assiduously and faithfully.”
Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.
The Loyola Jesuit Center is a very special place that has been used for retreats since 1927. Since then thousands of people have walked through its doors, seeking peace, restoration and God’s presence. Rooted in our Catholic and Jesuit identity, we will fulfill this welcoming mission by:
• sponsoring a variety of retreats and days of prayer, offering the experiences of discernment and contemplation at the heart of lgnatian spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises
• providing spiritual direction, contemporary programming, and other resources for growing in a personal, mature relationship with God in a place of peace and serenity.
161 James Street, Morristown, NJ 07960 973-539-0740 • www.loyola.org
VILLA PAULINE RETREAT AND SPIRITUAL CENTER
352 Bernardsville Road, Mendham, NJ 07945
Sr. Theresa Marie Tran, SCC 973-543-9058 • villapauline@scceast.org sccus.org • Preached/Directed/Guided & Private Retreats, Spiritual Direction, day & weekend programs
To join this retreat guide, email mgregory@diometuchen.org
Gospel for March 29, 2026
Matthew 21:1-11
Following is a word search based on the Processional Gospel for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, Cycle A. The words can be found in all directions in the puzzle.
BETHPAGE A COLT UNTIE
SPOKEN PROPHET DAUGHTER
ZION KING FOAL BROUGHT CLOAKS LARGE CROWD BRANCHES HOSANNA BLESSED THE NAME HIGHEST CITY
JESUS NAZARETH GALILEE
N O I Z E G A P H T E B
A L A N
Z
A
R
E
T U O T N E C I L W K D
H G A N S L Y R A I L Y
J H K U L I O K O J I A
L T S E H G I H F W E L
D E E M A N E H T R D L
J R T H G U O R B F Z A © 2026 TRI-C-A Publications; tri-c-a-publications.com
For Priests In Crisis
Let us pray for Priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer. Pope’s Monthly Prayer Intentions
Senior Care at Home is the lower cost alternative to nursing homes or assisted living. Family Care Placement, LLC, provides live-in caregivers allowing them the comfort of their own home. We specialize in placing FILIPINO caregivers. All candidates are fluent in English with excellent References. For our personalized placement services, call Karen at 908-377-9375
‘Truly, this was the son of God’
Passion Sunday (A)
“And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him” (Matthew 27:31). With these somber words, St. Matthew begins his account of Jesus’ crucifixion. The forces of sin and darkness that had conspired against Jesus throughout his ministry were now to have their way –Jesus would die on the cross, the most painful and humiliating means of execution allowed in the Roman Empire. But, the supreme irony of all this was that this very death, the seeming moment of evil’s triumph, would become the center point of all history, the moment when the power of sin and darkness would suffer its ultimate defeat.
The tradition of reading St. Matthew’s account of Jesus’ suffering and death on Passion Sunday has existed in Rome since the reign of Pope Leo the Great (440-461). It is this account which guides our reflections this Passion Sunday.
St. Matthew recalls that Jesus was crucified at a place called “Golgotha” (the Place of the Skull). According to Roman practice, the condemned person was forced to carry the crossbeam from his place of imprisonment to the place of execution. Once they arrived on site, the condemned person was tied or nailed (or both) to the crossbeam which was then hoisted onto the vertical pole. Once raised upon the cross, death was often a slow, agonizing process as the victim eventually succumbed to either suffocation or dehydration.
Once Jesus had been lifted onto the cross, St. Matthew recalls that the soldiers cast lots for his clothing; by law, the execution squad received the condemned person’s clothes as a sort of “gratuity.” They offered Jesus some gall-laced wine which he refused to drink. Above his head, the soldiers inscribed the charge for which the Lord had been condemned, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Matthew 27:37). To the Jewish people this charge would have suggested blasphemy and to the Romans, insurrection; the supreme irony, however, was that the charge was completely true – Jesus is the King of all creation.
We next learn of three groups that mocked Jesus as he hung dying on the cross. First, the passers-by mocked him, “Save yourself, if you are the Son of God” (Matthew 27:40); blinded by their own hatred and ignorance, they failed to recognize that it was Jesus’s perfect obe-
dience to his Father’s mission that had led him to the cross. Jesus would prove himself God’s faithful Son by remaining on the cross, not by using his power to abandon it.
Next, the chief priests and leaders of the people jeered, “So he is the King of Israel! Let him come down from the cross now and we will believe him!” (Matthew 27:42). These religious and political leaders failed to understand that David’s throne had been re-shaped into the cross; from the cross, Jesus would reign as King forever – the Lord’s promise to David through the Prophet Nathan had been fulfilled (see 2 Samuel 7:8-16).
Finally, St. Matthew records, “from noon onwards, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon” (Matthew 27:45). At that time, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus’ words emphasize two important truths: first, the reality of this event. Mocked, beaten, nailed to the cross, and dying, Jesus suffered horribly for our sins. The agony of his torments caused him to wail out in pain – the price for our sins was terrible indeed. But second, Jesus’ words affirm his complete trust in his Heavenly Father and the mission he had given him. What the crowd of Jesus’ day would have understood was that the words, “My God, My God …” were the opening lines of Psalm 22, a psalm which recounts the terrible sufferings of an innocent man who nevertheless never loses faith in God. Even though he suffers greatly, he knows that the Father will save and raise him up. Jesus’ last words turn out to be a prayer of trust in his Heavenly Father after which “he gave up his spirit” (Matthew 27:50).
And then, as signs of the universal significance of this event, we learn that the earth quaked (the foundations of the world were shaken), the veil of the Temple was torn in two (a new era of salvation history had begun; God would no longer deal with his people from the Temple in Jerusalem, but through the community that his Risen Son would establish (i.e. the Church). The bodies of the holy ones rose from their tombs (their salvation had come; the price of Adam’s sin had been paid). At the end, the Roman centurion supervising the whole event became the first of countless people throughout the ages to speak the words proclaiming the true meaning of what had occurred, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).
Msgr. John N. Fell serves as diocesan director of Priest Personnel.
Patricia Mary Murphy, of Edison, passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 23 at JFK Medical Center in Edison.
Born Patricia Mary Fullam on Aug. 13, 1940 in Brooklyn, to John Fullam and Alice (Honahan) Fullam, she grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from St. Joseph’s High School where as a senior business major, she excelled in full dictation, stenography and typing and was selected for a work-study program at New York Telephone, which led to a full
time position after graduation.
Developing additional office skills, she progressed on to the investment firm Spencer Trask & Co. in Manhattan as a private secretary. It was early in 1960 that she met the love of her life, Walter Murphy, while out ballroom dancing with her friends. After refusing an unsolicited request to dance, multiple times, she finally relented and that chance meeting began their love affair and led to their marriage in May of 1961.
The following March their first
daughter was born and Patricia’s business career ended with her new role as a full time mother. In 1974, after residing in Queens and Brooklyn, their family, now with two young daughters Cecilia and Laura, moved to the suburbs of Edison, where she lived out the rest of her life.
Having raised two daughters with her husband, Patricia decided it was time to go back to school and earned her Bachelors of Science from Rutgers University, which relaunched her business career as a Tax Accountant with Puerto Rico Marine Management and, later, Phillips Van Heusen, from which she eventually retired.
Known for her cheerful and gregarious nature, Patricia was the matriarch and heart of her family and was adored by her loved ones who affectionately called her “Mom-Mom.” She was exceptionally well-read, possessing a sharp intellect that allowed her to converse on many topics. An avid explorer, she and her husband Walter traveled the world together to far off places including Poland, Israel, Dubai, Turkey, Russia, China and throughout western Europe, as well as dozens of cruises to the Caribbean, South America and even to Alaska.
She maintained that same adventurous spirit throughout her active retirement, albeit closer to home, and especially enjoyed the lights and excitement of Atlantic City and the ocean and beaches there and in Cape May and Wildwood.
A woman of deep faith and love for the Lord, Patricia was a lifelong devoted Catholic and a communicant of the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Metuchen. She generously volunteered for more than 10 years in the Pontifical Mission Societies Office for the Diocese of Metuchen, where her work helped touch the lives of tens of thousands of people, mostly in poor missionary countries throughout the world. That same generosity was apparent in the love and care she shared with her family and friends.
Patricia was predeceased by her husband of 54 years, Walter T. Murphy, who passed in 2015; her sister Kathy Giacomini, and brothers Thomas Fullam and John Fullam.
Surviving are her daughters, Cecilia Isbitski and her husband Wayne of Pittstown and Laura Babar and her husband Zaheer of Cranbury; seven grandchildren, Ian, Megan, Sean, Conner, Corey, Zachary, and Chad; her sister Maureen Fullam of New York City; her loving friend and companion Stephen Dudeck of Metuchen, as well as many nieces, nephews and a wide circle of friends.
A Funeral Mass was celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Francis Assisi, Metuchen.
Donations may be made in Patricia’s memory to “Pontifical Mission Societies” and mailed to P.O. Box 191 Metuchen, NJ 08840-0191, to help carry on the work she cared so deeply about.
Kathryn A. (Carter) Dean Skrocki, 78, fell asleep in the Lord on Feb. 23 at home while surrounded by her family.
She was born in Newark and lived in Carteret from 1952-2012. She graduated from Carteret High School in 1965. She retired from the Carteret Board of Education as an Administrative Assistant on February 1, 2012. In her earlier years Kathryn was employed as a Senior Payroll clerk for the National State Bank Computer Center, Linden and a payroll coordinator for the Prudential Insurance Company in Newark.
Kathryn was a member of the Columbus-Cleveland PTA in Carteret from 1977 – 1986, serving as its president and co-directing the Stage 5 Variety Show which was shown on Suburban Cable TV.
Kathryn was a choir member and ministered as a cantor for St. Joseph Church, Carteret, for 27 years. She was a parishioner of the Church of Sacred Heart, South Plainfield, and a member and cantor at the Church of Sacred Heart Folk Group Choir.
After moving to Holiday Heights in Berkeley Township Kathryn became a parishioner of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish and continued her music ministry as a member of the church choir and cantor for eight years. She was a member of the Holiday Heights Ladies Auxiliary First Aid Squad and served as secretary,
and was a member of the Holiday Heights Community Chorus/ Theater.
As a bereavement facilitator for the Diocese of Metuchen, Kathryn minis tered at St. Joseph Church in Carteret for 11 years.
Kathryn was also a member and past regent for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court Fidelis 636; past president and member of the Servants of Mary at St. Joseph Church, Carteret, and member of the Knights of Columbus Columbiettes 10899 at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Toms River.
Kathryn also served as a committee member and office volunteer for the Dio cese of Metuchen Office for Persons with Disabilities. She coordinated Christmas parties for persons with disabilities and served on the parish committee for Per sons with Disabilities at Church of the Sacred Heart, South Plainfield, before she moved to Berkeley Township.
As a direct descendant of Robert Carter, a pilgrim who immigrated to America aboard the Mayflower in 1620, Kathryn was also related to Carter Braxton and General Henry “Lighthorse Harry” Lee, both signers of the Declaration of Independence. General Lee was the parent of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Kathryn had ancestors fighting during the Civil War for both the North and South.
Kathryn is predeceased by her first
husband, John Dean in 1998, her son John, Jr. who died in 2008 and her parents Kathryn A. King Carter in 1975 and Edmund J. Carter, Sr. in 1996 and her brother Richard W. Carter.
Surviving is her husband, Richard Skrocki of Toms River, and her daughter Kathryn Kilyk and her husband Jason of Hazlet; her brother, Edmund J. Carter, Jr. and his wife Carolyn of Toms River; her sister in-law Leslie Mickleson-Carter of Florida; three sisters, Irene Strozeski of Delaware, Donna Koopman of Florida and Beverly Carter-Fabian and her husband Gus of Beachwood; and six grandchildren, Jacob, Grace and Brady Wendell, Joe, Justin and Jack Kilyk; 16 nieces and nephews.
A funeral mass was celebrated on March 2, at St. Maximilian Kolbe RC Church, with burial following at St. Gertrude Cemetery, Colonia. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family by visiting www.quinn-hoppingfh.com.
clothing, and emergency rental/utility aid.
Immigration & Refugee Services: Providing legal and social support to help families integrate and find stability.
place every March to recognize social workers who make a difference every day in the lives of those they serve. The 2026 theme “Social Workers: Uplift. Defend. Transform,” highlights their essential role in providing care, advocacy, resources and support National Social Work Month was first organized in 1963 by the National Association of Social Workers to encourage the public to support social workers. According to their website, in 1984, President Ronald Reagan officially proclaimed March as National Professional Social Work Month. During the month of March, social workers are celebrated and those who are considering careers in social work, are encouraged to explore resources on how to become a social worker.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen (CCDOM) officially operates more than 100 programs across Middlesex,
Because of all the programs CCDOM offers, they employ a wide range of social work specialists. While the agency is broad, there are many programs that fall directly under the umbrella of professional social work.
Behavioral Health & Counseling: Providing over 39,000 hours of counseling annually, including the PACT program (Program of Assertive Community Treatment) and intensive outpatient services.
Housing & Homelessness: Operating shelters like Ozanam Family Shelter and Ozanam Inn, along with permanent supportive housing like Naomi’s Way.
Youth & Family Services: Providing LifeSet (for youth aging out of foster care), school-based services, and the Mobile Family Success Center.
Basic Needs & “Making Ends Meet”: Offering direct assistance for food,
Child Care: Operating multiple childcare and summer camp sites that serve over 1,400 children a year.
CCDOM provides over 39,000 hours of counseling annually and social workers assist with their Mental Health Navigator. This is a free service to assist residents of our Diocese in receiving support and education on how to understand and obtain mental health services and help remove the barriers that often exist when trying to figure out where to start.
The Navigator assists with educating on how to find out if health insurance will cover these services; makes recommendations for resources that are near to home or work; provides information on what to expect when you call for services, and advocates for your rights within a challenging mental health system.
In a year where Central Jersey fam-
ilies are facing unprecedented economic pressure, CCDOM social workers are proving that transformation is possible – one client, one family, and one breakthrough at a time.
If you or a loved one would benefit from the Mental Health Navigator service, please call 732-857-3811 Middlesex County and 908-333-2282 Somerset, Hunterdon, Warren Counties.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen’s Administrative Offices are located at 319 Maple Street, Perth Amboy, New Jersey. They can be reached by phone at 732-324-8200 and encourage you to reach out if you or someone you know need their services.
Like and Follow Catholic Charities on Facebook, Instagram, and X @ ccdom1 to stay updated on upcoming events and ways CCDOM helps clients get the services and assistance they need.
Tiffany Workman is the communications specialist in the diocesan Office of Communications and Public Relations.
Many years ago, when I was at a low point in life, I was praying exceptionally hard for God to help me. He answered me in a way that was not only audible but also physically perceptible to me. When I heard his voice and felt his presence, I instantly felt an overwhelming peace. I felt like God was holding me very tenderly in the palm of His hand. I did not realize, until that moment, that God cared about the intricacies of my day-to-day life. He was saying, “I love you; I have a plan for you; trust in me.” That unique encounter with God opened the eyes of my heart.
From then on, I prayed from my heart. I knew that God was listening and I never felt alone again. We often think that we need to “become good” in order to be worthy of God’s love. We wrongly assume that we have to become sinless by our own strength. This, I believe, is a cunning deception of the Evil One because it prevents us from seeking God. As it says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” Don’t be fooled. God loves us as we are – in our brokenness, in our woundedness, when we are immersed in sin – He loves us just the way we are. Does He want us to remain broken, wounded and sinful? Of course not. But He wants more than anything to help us become healed. Psalm 51 says that the Lord desires a contrite heart so that He can create in us a clean heart.
Not long after that life-changing experience, I realized that many people live an entire lifetime without knowing God’s love for them in a personal and intimate way. I also realized that that might have been me had I not hit “rock bottom”. We humans often need to be shaken out of our
“After the death and Resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit came to dwell with us and in us (1 John 4:13)
He knows our resting and our rising; all our thoughts lie open to Him; He discerns our purpose from afar (cf. Psalm 139).”
—OSV News photo/courtesy Maryland Catholic Conference
unconsciousness to become conscious of the One who created us and loves us most of all. As C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
This Lent the Hallow App (Lent Pray40) has some remarkable testimonies and emphasizes the many benefits of fasting and silence. In this world of indulgence and noise both seem exceedingly burdensome and countercultural. Constant
streaming of news, reels, podcasts and social media are today’s Tower of Babel: a cacophony of voices vying for space in our heads. The world wants to corrupt us from within. And the more attached one is, the more difficult it will be to detach oneself. Fasting and silence today require vigorous discipline. I find it challenging but definitely worth it. For God speaks in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12) and He is always 100% present to us (Mt 28:20). No other voices should drown out the lov-
ing voice of our Father.
Human beings can become misguided in thought and fallacious in speech (and sometimes they are AI and not even human!), but God’s Word is always true. His Church is always waiting for us with open arms, ready and willing to take us in, to heal us and to restore us.
God awareness is self awareness and self awareness is God awareness: they are not mutually exclusive. In order to truly know ourselves we must know God, and if we know God we will come to know ourselves. Pope Benedict XVI once wrote that we hand “our imperfect self over to the One who responds by handing us back our true self through His gift of self on the cross.” We can be close to Him because He became one of us. After the death and Resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit came to dwell with us and in us (1 John 4:13). He knows our resting and our rising; all our thoughts lie open to Him; He discerns our purpose from afar (cf. Psalm 139).
Without God we tend to turn in on ourselves and to our worldly Tower of Babel. Prayer raises us up to Him, to a higher and deeper level of consciousness, a consciousness of His personal love for us, a love that the world cannot give.
Anna M. Githens, who holds an MA in Theology, is a freelance writer with a career background in finance, teaching and journalism.
By Jeanette Land Special Contributor
Pretzels are a popular snack, especially for anyone who is counting calories. They come in different sizes and shapes –sticks and nuggets, thick and thin, as well as the customary twisted loose knot configuration. In many European countries, pretzels are considered a food proper to Lent.
How can this be, since we think of Lent as a time of fasting and prayer? Consider the pretzel’s history.
The pretzel can be traced back to the ancient Romans. Its name comes from the Latin word, pretiola, meaning “a small reward.” It is said that pretzels were first made by monks in southern Europe and given as a reward to children who learned their prayers properly. The Germans coined the term brezel (or prezel, the name by which we know it today – pretzel.
Pretzels are traditionally made from three ingredients: a mixture of flour, water and salt. Since the early Christians
were very strict in observing the Lenten fast set by Pope Saint Gregory the Great in the sixth century, meat and “all things that came from the flesh” – cheese, cream, milk, butter, and eggs – were forbidden food. Pretzels, then, were a natural replacement for regular bread that called for dairy products.
In those times, people crossed their arms over their chests when they prayed. Hence, these early Christians twisted the unleavened dough into a loose knot shape that resembled crossed arms. This was to remind them that Lent is a time of prayer and devotion.
During Lent this year, let us resurrect this ancient tradition and serve pretzels –not as snack food – but with the main meal, instead of bread. Let the ingredients remind us of who we are and Whose we are.
Flour and water are the basic ingredients used to make pretzels. These are the same ingredients that make up the unleavened Bread of Life (Jn 6:48) of which we partake at Eucharist. Jesus, our
Savior, is our “gift of finest wheat,” our “life-giving water” (Jn 4:14). These ingredients are the sign of God’s life in us.
Salt is sprinkled on pretzels as an additive used to season the food and give it zest. It reminds us that “we are the salt of the earth: (Mt 5:13), the sprinkling of people called to be models of excellence, by witnessing to and zealously proclaim-
ing the Kingdom of God in our midst. In doing so, we will give savor to the rest of mankind who are in need of a Savior.
We are the yeast called to modify and permeate and eventually change those in our midst.
We are the leaven for the world.
Ponder these thoughts during Lent. And pass the pretzels!
By David Karas, Correspondent
At Saint James Elementary School and Childcare Center, Woodbridge, faith is a common theme throughout the student experience.
“The spiritual and academic experiences offered at St. James Elementary School and Childcare Center enable students to deepen their relationship with Jesus, broaden their understanding of their faith tradition, and connect their faith to their daily lives,” said principal Jeffrey Hudanish. “The foundation of faith upon which academic programs are built permeates every aspect of the school day and extends well beyond the classroom.”
Students begin each day at their Amboy Avenue school with prayer, intentions, and listening to an inspirational theme for the day or season. Throughout the day, students are engaged in the classroom and look forward to “specials” like STEM, art and music. There is a constant sense of community and belonging, Hudanish said.
“No matter where they are walking through the corridors, on their way to a class or lunch, going to the lavatory, or just passing by on the stairwell,” he said, “St. James students are always smiling and greeting someone with a ‘God Bless you and good morning or afternoon’.”
The school is in the process of bringing back its soccer program, much to the excitement of a number of students and parents. They are also expanding their technology class with an architectural and drafting curriculum, and a school ministry has been created in the middle school to support Masses and prayer services for the school community.
In addition to teaching sixth grade science and math, Joanne Hockenjos is also an advisor for the student council and school ministry. She described the “Catholic identity being on display” throughout the school, and highlighted some of the learning opportunities that await students each day.
“Students connect via live virtual lessons with NFL players, scientists, explorers and conservationists, exposing them to more career choices, learning facts from the experts,” she said. “There are many opportunities for students to participate in community writing and technology contests to showcase their Individual talents.”
Hudanish said that this commitment to fostering high-quality education for students is woven into his school’s history.
“St. James School is unique in that it is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, schools in the Diocese of Metuchen,” he said. “Our history is defined by a consistent, long-term commitment to high academic expectations and a safe, nurturing environment where students can grow and succeed.”
Throughout that history, there have been common themes of committed educators, a culture of support and community investment in the success of the
school as well as each individual student.
“The partnership between the school, parents and the parish community remains one of our greatest strengths,” said Hudanish. “Our parents and community are deeply committed to the success of St. James School. Their involvement is visible on a constant, almost daily basis through the close support provided by the Home School Association and the Parents’ Athletic Group.”
For second graders at St. James, there is a lot to love about their school community.
“My favorite thing is that I love the teachers,” said 7-year-old Mia Manley. “Learning makes me excited to go to school.”
Fellow second grader Madison Boehler, 8, has a number of highlights.
“My favorite thing about St. James School is math and gym,” she said. “I am excited to go to school because of recess and Spanish.”
Seven-year-old Nathalie Gugman-Illera mentioned the special classes she has, and how much she likes to learn new things each day.
Their teacher, Patricia Kelly, also emphasized the sense of community, and the individual approach taken for each student.
“At St. James School every child is known, valued, and supported,” she said. “We focus on forming students that are not only intellectual, but are kind and respectful.”
She encourages parents to consider St. James for their children.
“The teachers and staff work closely with families to ensure that each student grows in confidence and excels in learning. Our teachers set high expectations for the students and help them develop critical thinking and study habits they need to succeed at St. James and beyond,” said Kelly, who also underscored the value of Catholic education. “Catholic schools do not just focus on academics. Catholic schools develop the whole person – intellectually, morally, spiritually and socially.”
Hudanish reflected on his teachers, who “are deeply committed to the teaching mission of Jesus Christ and who provide guidance within a faith-centered environment.”
Within the school’s faith-filled environment, and thanks to those dedicated teachers, he shared, students grow in many ways.
“Students develop strong qualities of self-confidence, self-respect, and self-discipline. We strive to prepare students to be good stewards of God’s gifts and active people of faith who serve others, participate in both their faith and civic communities, and strive to make a positive difference in the world,” said Hudanish. “This spiritual mission is carried out through daily classroom instruction, school and family Masses and prayer services, sacramental preparation, community service opportunities, and extracurricular activities.”
—St. James School, Woodbridge, FB page photos
Read Across America is the nation’s largest year-round reading initiative, launched by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1998 to encourage children and teens to read. Held annually on March 2nd (Dr. Seuss’s birthday) and throughout March, it promotes reading, diverse books, and literacy.
For students, faculty and staff in Perth Amboy Catholic School, the energy of this reading initiative was inspiring. School principal, Anacelis Diaz explained, “Perth Amboy Catholic School fosters an enthusiasm for reading throughout the year. That enthusiasm kicks into high gear during Read Across America Week. Students and teachers celebrate and share their love of stories and characters found in books by dressing up and bringing their favorite stories to life.”
This year highlighted Dr. Seuss, with each day focusing on a different book or theme. Classrooms and hallways were filled with Cats in Hats, Foxes in Socks, so many “Things,” and plenty of silly mismatched outfits and creative hairstyles.
“Many guest readers from across our community joined the celebration, including local supporters, friends of the school, and members of our PACS families, who volunteered their time to read to our students,” said Diaz. “Their presence made the week even more special and reminded our children that a love of reading is shared by the entire community.”
Older students also read to younger ones, creating special memories while fostering strong reading habits and building connections across grade levels.
Together, these moments, pictured here, captured the joyful spirit of Read Across America Week at Perth Amboy Catholic School.
—Courtesy photos
Lebanese Maronite Catholic priest Father Pierre al-Rahi, also known by his French name Pierre el-Raï, in vestments second from left, takes part in a Palm Sunday procession in Qlayaa, Lebanon, April 2, 2023. Father al-Rahi was killed in this village in southern Lebanon during an Israeli artillery tank fire on a house March 9, 2026, Catholic officials and media said – reports since confirmed by OSV News. Father al-Rahi had earlier refused, along with other priests, to obey an order by the Israeli military to evacuate the Christian village of Qlayaa, a Maronite village of some 8,000 inhabitants in the Marjayoun district, a few miles from the Israeli border. —OSV News photo/Aziz Taher, Reuters
QLAYAA, Lebanon (OSV News)
– A Maronite Catholic priest has been killed in southern Lebanon after an Israeli tank fired on a home in the border village of Qlayaa. Father Pierre al-Rahi, also known as Pierre el-Raï, died March 9 after being wounded while rushing to help neighbors injured in the first strike.
Local reports say an Israeli Merkava tank shelled the house twice. The first blast injured a couple inside. When Father al-Rahi and others ran to assist, a second round hit the area, fatally wounding the priest and injuring several civilians.
Just a day earlier, Father al-Rahi had told France24 he would remain with his parishioners despite Israeli evacuation orders. “None of us carries weapons. All of us carry peace and goodness and love,” he said. Church leaders and Catholic charities expressed shock at his death.
The strike comes amid escalating Israeli operations targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, where thousands of civilians have already fled growing violence near the Israeli border. AsiaNews, an official press agency of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, also reported the death of Sami Ghafari, 70, a Maronite Catholic killed by an Israeli drone while he was in his garden. He was a brother of Father Maroun Ghafari, parish priest of Our Lady’s Church in Alma Shaab. Pope Leo XIV expressed “profound sorrow for all the victims of the bombings in the Middle East over the last few days.
By Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News
(OSV News) – Amid the escalating chaos of another war in the Middle East, Benedictine Father Nikodemus Schnabel said the abbey where he resides has become an “island of hope in an ocean of suffering” where even people of different faiths have found refuge.
In a telephone interview with OSV News March 6, Father Schnabel, abbot of Dormition Abbey on Mount Zion in the heart of Jerusalem and of Tabgha, the community’s priory on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, said that among those who took shelter as sirens blared in the holy city was a group of Muslim, Christian and Jewish students.
As uncertainty and fear loomed, seeing a group of young students whose religions are constantly pitted against each other sitting together was a “wonderful” sight.
On March 4, “the whole afternoon there was one alarm after another. We were in the shelter with Jews, Christians and Muslims. It sounds strange but it was wonderful,” Father Schnabel told OSV News.
Among the group, he noted, there was a curiosity about how different religious traditions “deal with a situation like that.”
“If we as a human family had this attitude of curiosity – the desire to understand others, the tradition of others – it would be wonderful,” he said. “Instead, in our times, we (think we) have the answers already. We think we already know the others.”
Father Schnabel told OSV News that instead of arguments or fear, those gathered shared concerns for people suffering across the region.
“There was, unanimously, really the feeling that all people are suffering,” he said, adding that the group also shared stories about frightened children and families affected by the conflict, reinforcing what he described as a deeper sense of solidarity.
“None of us said, ‘Oh, my life, my life,’” he recalled. “Instead, people were thinking about others.”
With the war entering its seventh day, Israel and the U.S. continued their strikes on Tehran, while the Israeli military also carried out an attack in southern Beirut against Hezbollah, who have joined in the fighting, NPR reported March 6.
Following the death of its supreme leader, 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran has launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. bases and assets in the Gulf states, as well as strikes against Israel.
Father Schnabel told OSV News that while sirens and alarms were constant since the start of the war, in Jerusalem, “the situation has become more and more calm” with fewer sirens.
Nevertheless, the Benedictine abbot lamented that the current security restric-
tions have brought unusual restrictions in Jerusalem, with Israeli police closing religious sites, including the Dormition Abbey, to the public.
“The police came and closed our monastery to the public,” Father Schnabel said. “It was really a thing because it was never (closed) in the last weeks and months.”
While such closures have not been common in the past, he underlined that Christian, Jewish and Muslim holy places were also closed to the public, affecting sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount compound.
Despite the restrictions, he said, the Benedictine community continued its liturgical life.
“Sometimes people misunderstand that our church is closed, so there is no prayer,” Father Schnabel said. “No. Of course, we have all our prayer times and we have daily Eucharist.”
At the start of the war, several pilgrim groups, including one from France, had taken shelter at the monastery. However, the abbot confirmed that all pilgrims have left the country.
Father Schnabel said he still welcomes individual pilgrims and that now that pilgrim groups have canceled their pilgrimages, Dormition Abbey remains open for those who wish to stay and pray.
“Our house is open and if you want, you can celebrate Easter with us. For me, it’s no problem. We have the rooms, we have food, we have drinks. No problem. So I tell every guest, ‘Don’t be worried. Stay as long as it is good for you.’ That’s our policy.”
For Father Schnabel, the presence of visitors – especially the group of Chris-
tian, Muslim and Jewish students who sheltered at the monastery – served as a powerful reminder for all looking at the conflict from the outside that the situation is far from “black and white.”
“We, as the Catholic Church here in this Holy Land, have members who are Palestinians, Arab-speaking (Christians) who have been here for centuries, who are under pressure from the settlers, from the political sphere. We have a small group of Hebrew-speaking Catholics, very often who have husbands or wives who are Jewish; Palestinian (Christians) who have Muslim neighbors,” he explained.
“We have Catholics (treated) as modern slaves from the Philippines, India and Sri Lanka,” the Benedictine abbot continued. “And of course, we have also
Catholics like me: monks, nuns who run schools, who run hospitals, who run pilgrimage places. And of course, we have the pilgrims. So, we are everywhere.”
He also noted the Christian presence in Gaza, which he said was “another reality that nobody is talking about.”
“People ask me what my position is, my political position. I say I’m neither pro-Israel nor pro-Palestine. I’m pro-human because in the end, we are all human beings,” Father Schnabel told OSV News.
“Why should I cheer if a Jew is killed or a Muslim killed, or a Christian killed, or an atheist? In fact, we are losing together as mankind,” he added. “For me, there is one fear. Of course, losing life in the world is one. But I also have a bigger fear: of losing our humanity.”
Accreditation demonstrates Saint Peter’s commitment to improving cancer care across the continuum
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick, announced that it has received accreditation under the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC) Accreditation Program.
The ACS CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival and quality of life for patients with cancer by setting and raising standards. CoC accreditation is granted to institutions committed to providing high-quality cancer care by demonstrating compliance with the CoC standards. Each cancer program must undergo a rigorous evaluation and review of its performance and compliance with the CoC standards. To maintain accreditation, cancer programs must undergo a site visit every three years. The CoC accreditation standards provide a framework for delivering comprehensive diagnostic, treatment, and supportive services to all patients.
“Earning the Commission on Cancer reaccreditation from the American College of Surgeons reflects the strength of the multidisciplinary approach to patient care taken by Saint Peter’s Cancer Center,” said Dr. Nishant Shah, a radiation oncologist with Astera Cancer Care who sees patients at Saint Peter’s University Hospital and also serves as the chair of Saint Peter’s multidisciplinary Cancer Committee. “For our patients, this means that every aspect of their journey meets nationally recognized standards that support accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and compassionate care.”
Saint Peter’s provides comprehensive cancer care for adults and children in both inpatient and outpatient settings, encompassing all phases of the cancer journey, from early detection through treatment and survivorship. Saint Peter’s highly trained clinicians provide the highest quality of care, including specialized care for brain cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer,
esophageal cancer, head and neck cancer, hematology and blood cancers, gastrointestinal cancers, genitourinary cancers, lung cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, ovarian cancers, pediatric cancer, prostate cancer, radiation oncology, renal cell carcinoma, and skin cancers.
Saint Peter’s cancer specialists work as part of a multidisciplinary team – medical oncologists, hematologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, oncology nurse navigator, radiologists, pathologists, geneticists, nurses, pharmacists, and other professionals including social workers and physical therapists – to make sure a patient’s needs are met in the most appropriate and effective way.
As a CoC-accredited institution, Saint Peter’s also becomes an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Being a Surgical Quality Partner signifies an institution’s dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches, while maintaining a critical eye on process at every step. The Surgical Quality Partner designation lets patients know Saint Peter’s is dedicated to quality and relentless self-improvement and has been verified or accredited by the ACS. Patients can trust that the care they receive at Surgical Quality Partner hospitals adheres to the most rigorous standards in surgical quality.
“ACS Quality programs are grounded in more than a century of experience and participation is an important measure of a hospital’s surgical quality.
As an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, Saint Peter’s has shown a commitment providing the best possible patient care, evaluating that care in a rigorous fashion, and dedicating itself to continuous self-improvement,” said ACS Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Dr. Patricia L. Turner, To learn more about Saint Peter’s comprehensive cancer care services, visit saintpetershcs.com/cancercare.
Saint Peter’s University Hospital offers next-generation AI-powered therapy to treat enlarged prostate of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is now offering Aquablation® therapy via the HYDROS™ Robotic System, the next-generation procedure to treat men suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), commonly known as an enlarged prostate. Relief for BPH is now state of the art, delivered by an AI-powered robotic system. The prior treatment to BPH was surgery that often negatively impacted sexual function and continence, but due to advances in technology, Aquablation can now deliver significant and durable symptom relief.
For millions of men, BPH is an unfortunate reality of aging and impacts urinary function, making it difficult to urinate and fully empty the bladder. Common indicators are the need to urinate frequently, often urgently and an increased need to urinate at night. Without timely treatment, BPH can lead to severe health issues such as permanent bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones and incontinence. One in two men ages 51-60 have BPH1 and 99 percent of men say BPH impacts their quality of life.
“Aquablation® is a minimally-invasive surgical option that uses real-time imaging, and an artificial intelligence robotic system called HYDROS™. It uses heat-free waterjet technology to remove the excess prostate tissue that is causing the blockage,” said Dr. Akwasi Boateng, urologist at Saint Peter’s University Hospital. “The HYDROS Robotic System allows the surgeon to tailor treatment to each patient’s anatomy while minimizing total surgery time and the risk of complications.”
Saint Peter’s was recently recognized with the America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Outpatient Prostate Care Award™ (2026) – Superior Clinical Outcomes in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Treatment from Healthgrades, a resource for evaluating physicians and hospitals nationwide and honoring top-performing organizations through its annual recognitions.
Aquablation therapy is backed by five-year clinical data demonstrating significant relief of symptoms. To schedule an Aquablation consultation with one of the urologists offering this procedure at Saint Peter’s, visit saintpetershcs.com/ aquablation.
Saint Peter’s University Hospital, a member of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, is a 478-bed acute-care teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Saint Peter’s, which received its seventh consecutive designation as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2025, and its first Magnet with Distinction®, is also a state-designated children’s hospital and regional perinatal center, and a regional specialist in diabetes, gastroenterology, head and neck surgery, oncology, orthopedics, and women’s services. Saint Peter’s is the recipient of the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for the adult intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, cardiac progressive care unit and the pediatric intensive care unit. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally recognized Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, pediatric surgery and orthopedic surgery featuring innovative anterior scoliosis correction. The hospital has the state’s only hospital-based, midwifery-led birth center – the Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center, accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers. Saint Peter’s is a sponsor of residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and internal medicine, and is a major clinical affiliate of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732.745.8600.
Parishioner Pat Catena sets out the first of several pots needed to create Lenten fare for St. Cecelia Parish’s “Souper Supper.” Large pots of soup feed as many as 85 guests at the Iselin parish each Friday during Lent for those who come to the parish to hear guest speakers, participate in Eucharistic Adoration, celebrate Mass and join in the Stations of the Cross. A light meal consisting of vegetarian soup, made by Pat or one of several other volunteers, and accompanied by bread, fruit and water, provides an opportunity for guests to practice fasting and abstinence, and pray with others. —Courtesy photo
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grade, Jordan Barnes was looking for a high school that could take her game to the next level.
She found that – as well as a strong connection for her faith – when she enrolled at St. Thomas Aquinas almost four years ago.
“It definitely keeps me grounded. Playing in a Catholic school is definitely different than (regular) private school,” said Barnes, a South Plainfield native. “The mental part of it is a little bit different, because at the end of the day, we are playing for our faith and for our belief in God.”
That mindset, combined with natural gifts and hard work, helped Barnes etch her name as one of the best girls basketball players in school history.
Barnes recently capped her fourth season on the varsity team with 1,385 career points, including 16.2 per game this winter as the team’s top scorer. The 6-foot forward also compiled more than 700 rebounds while leading the team to a dominant record of 91-29 with four Greater Middlesex Conference titles.
“I honestly think my coaches put me in the best position at all times,” Barnes said. “They always gave me opportunities when I made mistakes. They didn’t
me in the best position.”
The irony is that Barnes remembers initially not really wanting to play basketball when she was young. But she was tall and her father motivated her to stick with it.
“I remember falling in love with it and always wanting to be in the gym, practicing, working out,” Barnes said. “I just always loved the competitiveness of it, and that’s what really made me fall in love with the sport.”
Barnes started out playing with a travel team in South Plainfield, where she developed her skills and gained confidence. She later learned to be a more versatile player while performing at the AAU level for Team Jersey Elite in middle school and for United and Team Sharp in high school.
“I was definitely always like the tallest,” Barnes said of playing youth basketball. “I was definitely a post (position player) more so when I was little, but for high school, I definitely think I blended in more with everyone else. And I wasn’t always the tallest, so then I started going out to the wing and also posting up if I needed to. But I definitely developed as I went higher in levels for basketball.”
As a freshman at St. Thomas Aqui-
state at one point. They won 24 games and advanced to the Non-Public A South semifinals for the first time in six years before falling to Red Bank Catholic, the state’s No. 1 team.
“My teammates and coaches, we’re definitely very close, and it’s so easy to get along and play with them because we’re so close-knit,” Barnes said. “It’s definitely easier. I also think just representing the school is a big one for me, too, because it’s good to feel like we’re representing St. Thomas so well because of how good we play together.”
Barnes will play Division I college basketball next winter while studying accounting at Rider University in Lawrenceville.
After building a strong foundation at St. Thomas Aquinas with her faith, academics and basketball, Barnes is excited for a bright future.
“The coaches (at Rider), they believed in me a lot, and that really made me feel so comfortable,” Barnes said. “They’re very welcoming. They welcomed me with open arms. And the first time I went to go visit, there was something in me that knew that I was going to play there.”
nas, Barnes came off the bench because she was surrounded by many talented, more experienced girls under coach Joe Whalen. Then she transitioned to playing as a starter for three seasons under Tim Corrigan, who had been an assistant.
She considered both coaches to be strong influences in her development, as well as keeping the team together and successful on the court.
St. Thomas Aquinas has long featured one of New Jersey’s best girls basketball programs, and this season the Trojans were ranked No. 10 in the
By Greg Johnson, Correspondent
Rhett Washleski always dreamed of being like his brother. He can still remember Colton, who is four years older, coming home from school in the first grade and showing their parents a flyer. He wanted to wrestle, and Rhett wanted to follow in his footsteps.
“Seeing him doing it and just watching him gave me the confidence and just made me want to try,” Washleski said. “I ended up falling in love with the sport, and it kind of just became our thing.”
Colton was such a good wrestler that he might have had the all-time wins record at Hunterdon Central had his senior season not been cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also wrestled at Rider University and now at the University of Virginia, where was an NCAA qualifier this season.
Rhett also had a phenomenal wrestling career at Hunterdon Central for three years, but that was where their paths diverged. The younger brother wanted to challenge himself at an up-and-coming program, as well as make a change academically and deepen his connection with God.
That led Washleski to Immaculata High, where he has spent his senior year and been a trailblazer on the wrestling team under coach Rodney Van Ness, who started the program three years ago.
“I feel like I’ve grown everywhere as a person, as a wrestler, as a follower of Christ,” Washleski said. “A lot of things Coach Van Ness preaches, and the coach-
ing staff, is very wrestling-oriented, but it’s also life-oriented.”
Washleski concluded his stellar season at the State Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City on March 14 by taking a fifthplace medal in the 150-pound weight class.
He posted a 33-3 record this season, and he became the first Immaculata wres tler to go the entire regular season with out a loss as he was 25-0 until the Region 7 Tournament. He also took first place in District 28 and helped Immaculata win the Somerset County Tournament.
“When he arrived here at Immacu lata his impact as a team leader was felt immediately,” Van Ness said. “He has helped to bring our team together as a unit, leading by example on and off the mat. In the room he’s all business, getting the most out of his workouts and pushing his teammates to get better each day.”
Van Ness added that Washleski has been a great ambassador for the team outside of wrestling as he is well-liked by his peers and teachers. Washleski, likewise, has cherished the Immaculata atmosphere and the prayers throughout the school day.
train hard with his brother and at various clubs from the time he got into the sport early in grade school.
When he gets on the mat, Washleski considers himself to be versatile and unpredictable. He likes to feel out his opponents and let his techniques flow into points once he gets into a zone.
He won his 33 matches this season with 19 falls, four technical falls, six decisions, three major decisions and one forfeit.
Above, Immaculata senior Rhett Washleski reacts after winning a 157-pound match in a Non-Public B quarterfinal dual meet on Feb. 17 at Immaculata High.
“I’ve spent a lot of time just honing the craft, and I definitely have some things, like on top I try (half Nelsons) a lot. Sometimes I’ll throw some legs,” he said. “I think my style is kind of just wearing people down and just always walking them down for six minutes and just chasing the next point and always trying to score. The attacks and the shots come together, and you figure out whatever you get during the match, because each opponent is different.”
Washleski says he has learned little techniques from Van Ness, a former top wrestler at Rutgers University, which elevated his performance as a senior. In turn, he has strived to be a good influence on younger wrestlers and offer help on the training mat.
“I want to be an inspiration to people and help them out in any way possible,” Washleski said. “Immaculata is doing a great thing with their coaching staff, the people they have around them, and the kids that are already going there.”
“It is definitely a pretty cool experience, just seeing how everyone has this like-mindedness in terms of their faith,” Washleski said. “I feel like it’s just an important part of our life as human beings, trusting in a higher power and God. It’s been great. There’s so many things that God has done for me, and this is just one of them.”
Washleski feels he was blessed with a great gift to wrestle, so he wanted to
Left, Immaculata head coach Rodney Van Ness, left, cheers on the team.
Below, Immaculata senior Rhett Washleski, top, wrestles DePaul Catholic sophomore Brady Tiernan. —Hal Brown photos
Washleski is still considering his college options but, like his brother, plans to wrestle at the Division I level.
No matter where he goes, the Flemington native won’t forget his transformative experience in high school. He wants to stop by his alma mater and stay connected with Immaculata in the future.
“It’s just a great thing that they got going that I’m able to be a part of,” Washleski said. “To help out others along the way I think is truly awesome.”
By Greg Johnson, Correspondent
What does it take to become one of the top high school bowlers in the entire country?
Pick up a ball when you’re two years old and make a scene at family functions.
“When I was a kid, I would cry and yell so I could get out of the stroller so I could bowl,” says St. Joseph High School senior Will Cunningham, a Newark native whose extended family used to bowl every Friday night at the now defunct Bowlero in Hazlet.
Cunningham started bowling competitively when he was 11 years old in local tournaments as well as the Jersey Lanes Junior Bowling League in Linden. He bowled his first perfect 300 when he was 12, and he had a personal instructor when he was 14 and 15.
So it’s no accident that Cunningham averaged a score of 231.78 across his four years on the St. Joe’s bowling team. He is also one of nine boys in New Jersey history to bowl a perfect game in the state tournament, and he bowled at least one perfect game in three consecutive seasons.
“When I shoot those 300s, typically I don’t think about anything,” Cunningham said. “I just try to repeat the same shot, or keep it in the same range where it was the last shot. So once I get in the 10th frame, I will still keep it in the same area, but I will tell myself to just relax so I can keep my momentum consistent.”
For Cunningham, bowling has always been about having fun with family and friends. He admits it was hard at first to become good and didn’t start “figuring things out” until he was 12. He practiced more and more and developed a better way of releasing the ball.
This winter, he was part of New Jersey’s top team and top duo alongside Kai Strothers. Coach Rusty Thomsen referred to them as “1A and 1B.” Cunningham is a righty and Strothers is a lefty, and they entered the state tournament in February with New Jersey’s second- and fourth-highest scoring averages, respectively.
“They’re built for competition. They have ice in their veins,” Thomsen said. “The bigger the spot, the more they step up. They live for it. There’s no such thing as pressure for them. They just thrive on wanting the ball in their hands in close matches, close games.”
St. Joe’s became the first boys bowling team in New Jersey history to win four straight state championships by defeating Nutley in the Group III final on Feb. 27.
Meanwhile, Cunningham took second place in the individual state tournament on Feb. 26 and became the first bowler to reach the final round in three consecutive years. Strothers won the individual title in 2023 and 2024.
“It would mean a lot because it shows a little bit of improvement over the last four
years,” Cunningham said prior to the state championship. “Team-wise, I know we can get it done. We just have to make sure we communicate as a team. We’re not gonna downplay any other teams, we’re not gonna be disrespectful or try to show off. We just need to do what we gotta do.”
It’s been an unprecedented run at St. Joe’s with Cunningham and Strothers in the lineup for four years, junior twins Joey and Josh Lamoreaux for three years, and senior Brian Burke and sophomore Ethan Brucato for two years.
The team had such strong depth this season that senior Ryan Abbott was a junior varsity bowler for four years despite
averaging close to a 180.
Top left, St. Joe’s senior Will Cunningham entered the state tournament with the second-highest scoring average among boys bowlers in New Jersey. Top right, St. Joe’s senior Kai Strothers won individual state championships in 2023 and 2024.
—Hal Brown photos
Left, St. Joe’s became the first boys bowling team in New Jersey history to win four consecutive state championships when it defeated Nutley on Feb. 26 at Lucky Strike in North Brunswick.
—Tim LeCras photo
“They would start on any high school team in the country – all four (seniors) –so I’ve just been spoiled to have them,” Thomsen said. “They’re talented and they stay hungry. They don’t settle. They’re very, very, very hard on themselves. They’re super competitive. That’s why they keep getting better is because they’re still mad that we lost a match (in mid-January). They just hold themselves to very high standards and they push each other and they don’t like to lose.”
Cunningham will bowl next year at Lawrence Tech University in Southfield, Michigan, which has recently been
ranked as the top college bowling team in the country. After that, he wants to bowl professionally on tour.
He developed a strong foundation for his future in the sport through the brotherhood at St. Joe’s and the team striving to reach its maximum potential. “We try to make all our spares, communicate and try to work together as a team,” Cunningham said. “Our teammates tend to get in our heads and tend to get in our feelings a little bit about us not really doing as good as we should. So that’ll take a toll on us, but then when we come back, we will be 10 times stronger. That’s what I really like about the last four years.”
St. Therese,
ROME (OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Gabriele Caccia as the Vatican’s new ambassador to the United States, selecting a seasoned diplo mat to serve as a crucial liaison between Rome and the pope’s home country.
The Vatican announced March 7 that Archbishop Caccia, 68, will serve as apostolic nuncio to the United States, succeeding Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who turned 80 in January after leading the post since 2016.
A nuncio serves as the pope’s ambassador to a government while also representing the Vatican to the local Catholic Church, helping maintain ties between Rome and national bishops.
A Milan native, Archbishop Caccia has served since 2020 as the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations in New York. In Washington, he will help oversee the process of selecting U.S. bishops and serve as a key liaison with the U.S. government, including President Donald Trump’s administration.
Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations, participates in the closing procession during the chrism Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City April 15, 2025. Pope Leo XIV named Archbishop Caccia as the new papal nuncio to the United States March 7, 2026. He succeeds Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who turned 80 in January and had served in the post since 2016. —OSV News photo/Gregory A. Shemitz
The United States and the Holy See established full diplomatic relations in 1984 under Ronald Reagan and St. John Paul II. Archbishop Caccia said March 7 that he accepts the appointment with “joy and a sense of trepidation, conscious of the great trust placed in me and of my own limitations, yet confident in His Holiness’s prayerful support and guidance.”
QIn a recent homily, my parish priest suggested that we all “give up prayers of petition for Lent.” He said we’re not being good friends to God if all we do is ask him for things, and that “you’ve all said enough prayers of petition, it’s time to say some other prayers.” But I’m not sure exactly what he meant by this or how I should incorporate this guidance into my prayer life.
AFirst, this may not have been made clear in the homily you mentioned, but it needs to be pointed out that a general message in a homily is very different from personal, individual guidance in spiritual direction or in the confessional.
Unless a homily is just reiterating basic requirements that are binding on all Catholics, you are free to use careful personal discernment in terms of whether or not the advice given in a homily applies to you. Since parishes are typically meant to serve all the Catholics in a given area based on simple geography rather than level of personal spiritual maturity, no parish homily is going to be able to give specific advice on prayer that will apply equally to all the souls who happen to be present to hear it.
That all being said, I suspect your priest was thinking of the four categories we traditionally use to describe different kinds of prayer: adoration, contrition, thanksgiving and petition (sometimes called “supplication”).
“Adoration” is prayer where we worship and praise God for his goodness, and in a similar way prayers of “thanksgiving” are when we thank God in prayer for the blessings he has given us. Prayers of “contrition” are when we apologize to God for having offended him and express our sorrow for our sins – the sacrament of penance is the highest form of prayer of contrition, although we can certainly pray prayers of contrition in other contexts. Prayers of petition are where we ask God for what we need or ask him to fulfill some holy or at least wholesome desire that we have.
In theory, I suppose it would be possible for someone with a very primitive and childish prayer life to lean too heavily into this last category. That is, if the only time a Christian ever turned to God in prayer was to ask him for selfish material things, then it probably would be healthy for such a person to start saying some
additional prayers of thanksgiving and adoration, and at the very least to go back to confession if they haven’t been availing themself of the sacrament regularly.
But holding that someone should omit prayers of petition altogether would seem to imply a fundamental misunderstanding of this kind of prayer.
For instance, if someone were to literally give up all prayers of petition for Lent, this means that they would not be able to say the “Our Father” – the prayer that Jesus himself taught us word-forword – until Easter, since in the “Our Father” we pray a prayer of petition that God “give us this day our daily bread.” And for priests, men and women in consecrated life, and the laity who pray the Liturgy of the Hours, each liturgical “hour” always begins with the prayer of petition: “God, come to my assistance; Lord, make haste to help me.”
Prayers of intercession, where we ask God to help other people in their needs, are also prayers of petition. Since praying for both the living and the dead is a spiritual work of mercy, it wouldn’t seem fitting to give this up for Lent!
Understood correctly, prayers of petitions are not meant to be a selfish “wish list” we impose on God but are rather powerful ways to grow in humility and love of him. When we ask God for help, we come to understand that we are mere creatures who need him, and that he is a loving Father who always cares for us.
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.
“Gossip. Lying. Flattery. Crass words. As we grow in Christian maturity, many of us are aware that we fall frequently into sins of speech. We realize instinctually that these faults are holding us back from the fullness of life. But what can we do about them?
Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond promises to help us attain verbal virtue. As this brief book shows, by cultivating healthy habits, we can effectively crowd out sinful speech and experience the gift of our tongue as God intended. Dynamic preacher and teacher Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., directs our attention to the primary purpose of speech–communion with God and each other–and considers a whole range of methods to develop our humanity in service of that end.
Fr. Gregory invites us to consider the importance of practices like truth-telling, correction, humor, and prayer within the context of our earthly and heavenly conversations. Enter more whole-heartedly (and freely) into relationships. Harness the power of speech for the good of your soul. And, with Training the Tongue as a delightful guide, reclaim communication as a tool for true communion with God and man alike.”
About the Author
Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., teaches Dogmatic and Moral Theology at the Dominican House of Studies and works as an Assistant Director of the Thomistic Institute. He was ordained a priest in 2016 and holds a doctorate from the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). He is the author of several books and articles Your Eucharistic Identity: A Sacramental Guide to the Fullness of Life and Justice: Judge Rightly, Give Freely. He is a regular contributor to several podcasts including Pints with Aquinas, CathGodsplaining.
Speech Acts & Training the Tongue w/ Fr. Gregory Pine | Fr. Bonaventure Chapman
Scan QR code or visit link below to see an interview with Fr. Gregory talking about his book. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkwXV3VRGpU.
Godsplaining is “a podcast by Dominican friars on all things Catholic. Join us each week for new episodes on topics ranging from prayer, to film and literature, and the world around us.”
To learn more about Fr. Gregory’s book, or to purchase a copy for yourself, please go to https://stpaulcenter.com/store/training-the-tongue-and-growing-beyond-sins-of-speech.
Kenneth “Ken” Genco, SFR, ABR Office: 908-874-8421, Cell: 908-229-5045 Kgenco48@gmail.com www.kengenco.com To join this Business Directory, email mgregory@diometuchen.org
“Fr. Gregory’s new book is as sharp as a two-edged sword and as healing as balm. Training the Tongue is witty, wise, and wonderfully Dominican: a manual for transforming our words from weapons of destruction into instruments of grace.”
Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P.
Author and Host of the Godsplaining Podcast
“With the reality that we will each be called to give an account for every word we speak, Training the Tongue is a crucial guide. Fr. Gregory provides beautiful insights into how we can converse, correct, and convict with both grace and truth.”
Lila Rose Founder and President of Live Action
“Few books manage to be both deeply theological and immediately practical. Training the Tongue is one of them. By shedding light on sins of the tongue that are often overlooked even by faithful Christians, Fr. Gregory shows how our words can become instruments of grace and communion with God and others. Every Christian should read this.”
Matt Fradd Creator and Host of Pints with Aquinas
“I want to impulsively blurt out my praise for Fr. Gregory’s insightful analysis of human speech, but I will heed his advice and train my tongue in the methods he thoughtfully describes throughout this excellent book.”
Trent Horn Author of Why We’re Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope, and Love
By John Mulderig, OSV News
To mark the 800th anniversary of the beloved saint’s death, Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a special Jubilee Year in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. It began on Jan. 10. Given the dramatic nature of his conversion and the long-lasting, widespread influence of the family of religious orders he founded, it’s no surprise that the life of St. Francis has often been portrayed on film. As early as 1918, a silent Italian production, “Frate Sole” (“Brother Sun”), directed by Ugo Falena, was devoted to the subject. Following, in alphabetical order, are capsule reviews of four of these movies. All are currently available to viewers in various formats.
“Brother Sun, Sister Moon” (1972)
Director Franco Zeffirelli’s version of the oft-told story of Francis of Assisi (Graham Faulkner) treats him as secular saint and social heretic, emphasizing parallels between his age and our own. The strength of the movie lies in its rich visualization of the natural beauties of the Umbrian hills and the Romanesque architecture of medieval Assisi. While the lush and lavish production has nothing to do with the Franciscan spirit of poverty and simplicity, it is a pictorially beautiful movie which succeeds quite well in celebrating nature and the quest for finding more to life than accumulating material goods. Brief rear male nudity in a nonsexual context. The OSV News classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG – parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
“The Flowers of St. Francis” (1950)
Remarkable Italian production about the beginnings of the Franciscan Order as its founder sets the example of humility, simplicity and obedience for his first followers at Portiuncula, a little chapel near Assisi, Italy, from which they depart into the world to preach peace. Directed by Roberto Rossellini from a script co-written with Federico Fellini, the movie’s form is as simple and sincere as the subject of the narrative. Its series of little incidents is related realistically, yet marvelously conveyed with an infectious sense of joy by an anonymous cast of monks from a Roman monastery. Subtitles. The OSV News classification is A-I – general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.
“Francesco” (1989)
Overwrought Italian production portrays St. Francis of Assisi (Mickey Rourke) as a spiritual agitator challenging the accepted values of his 13th-century contemporaries by embracing a life of utter poverty and simplicity. Director Liliana Cavani builds an elaborate picture of the period’s social injustices but fails to evoke any convincing sense of religious conviction from Rourke’s embarrassingly vacuous performance. English-language version. Occasional scenes of violence, desperate poverty and brief nudity. The OSV News classification is A-III – adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 – parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
“Francis of Assisi” (1961)
Uneven dramatization of the life of the 13th-century saint (Bradford Dillman) who founds a religious community based on absolute poverty, seeks its approval by the pope (Finlay Currie), encourages longtime friend Clare (Dolores Hart) to head a similar women’s order, then journeys to the Holy Land, preaches to the Sultan (Pedro Armendariz) and returns to find his order spreading but changing. Directed by Michael Curtiz, the production is well-mounted and well-intended but the script is a muddle of historical fact and dramatic fiction, with results that barely scratch the surface of Franciscan spirituality. The OSV News classification is A-I – general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.
John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on Twitter @JohnMulderig1.
LENT
Through Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Rice Bowl campaign, you can encourage your community to live Lent in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in need around the world. Their website offers many resources available in English and Spanish for parishes, families, and religious education programs. Learn about stories of hope from Ghana, Guatemala, and East Timor.
Visit CRS Espanol at https://www.crsricebowl.org/es
Visit CRS English at https://www.crsricebowl.org
In addition to the physical rice bowls, you can also make your contribution online using the QR code for the CRS Metuchen Diocese chapter’s (Comunidad de Solidaridad Diócesis de Metuchen) fundraising account. 25% of the funds raised stay in the Diocese to address local needs, and the remaining 75% is used by CRS to support our brothers and sisters in need in other parts of the world.
For more information please contact us at Lescobar@diometuchen.org or call 732-243-4573.
Chrism Mass, 4 p.m., Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen. Bishop Emeritus Paul Gregory Bootkoski will be the celebrant. Find more information on the diocesan Chrism Mass page here: https://diometuchen.org/chrism-mass
New Jersey Catholic Mental Health Conference, “From Isolation to Belonging: Mental Health and the Catholic Church,” at St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, Piscataway. With 1 in 10 adults in the US and over 1 billion people worldwide affected by mental health issues, everyone from clergy to educators to lay faithful are invited to attend this conference on Saturday, May 2. The fee to register is $40 and is limited to the first 300 registrants. Please visit njconf.com for more information.
The Metuchen Diocese Cursillo Movement will conduct a Men’s Cursillo Weekend from June 18 -21, 2026, at the Villa Pauline Retreat Center in Mendham. For further information about Cursillo visit the website at metcursillo.org
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 Maria Agnese at magnese@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.
Volunteers Needed – Catholic Charities Thrift Store and Food Pantry Catholic Charities needs volunteers for their thrift store and food pantry in Phillipsburg. Your time can directly help those in need. Contact Maria Hunter at 732-387-1315 or mhunter@ccdom.org to learn more about how you can contribute.
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. Call or text Eugene “George” Pantozzi 908-392-2677.
Our Lady of Lourdes, Whitehouse Station, NJ
The Faith Formation Ministry of Our Lady of Lourdes in Whitehouse Station, NJ is looking for an individual to fill the Youth Religious Education Assistant position. This administrative position works closely with the Parish Catechetical Leader in planning, organizing, and executing all Youth Faith Formation and Sacramental Programs. The Religious Education Assistant is part-time, 3 days per week, with some flexibility in work hours. Please click the link on the homepage of our parish website at www.ollwhs.org, to see the full, revised job description and application procedures. Email your resume to Nina Forestiere at faithformation@ollwhs.org. Thank you for your interest.
Knights of Columbus Mother Seton Council #15540 recently presented Family Promise of Hunterdon County with a $700 donation to assist them in their mission to assist families and individuals experiencing homelessness on their journey to self-sufficiency and permanent housing.
The nonprofit, which is the only source of shelter for homeless families with children in Hunterdon County, offers professional case management and counseling services, and has programs to address many of the issues involving sustainable housing and mental among its clients. Parenting
classes for those in crisis are also available.
Family Promise is supported by a large network of congregations representing multiple different faiths throughout the county. These congregations provide a network of over 1,000 volunteers working to help those in need.
Mother Seton Council meets regularly at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in the Three Bridges section of the county.
Contributed by Ronald Foster, director of public relations, Mother Seton Council #15540, Knights of Columbus.
—OSV News photo/Disney/Pixar
It is with great joy that the faithful of the Diocese of Metuchen, especially those of the Maronite Rite, are invited for the
Blessed by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on Feb. 11 at the Vatican on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of Prayer for the Sick.
On Sunday, April 26, 10 a.m. Mass
Saint Augustine of Canterbury Church, Kendall Park
“The Holy Spirit formed him so that he could teach those who live without God how to pray, those who live immersed in noise how to be silent, those who live ostentatiously how to be modest, and those who seek riches how to be poor. All of these behaviors are counter-cultural, yet, that is precisely why they attract us, just like fresh, pure water draws those walking in the desert.”
St. Augustine of Canterbury Church
45 Henderson Road, Kendall Park, NJ 08824