The Franciscan Sisters of St. Elizabeth here celebrated with great joy the canonization of the order’s founder, St. Ludovico of Casoria.

Bishop Serratelli blessed and dedicated the new altar in St. James of the Marches Church here May 10 as part of the renovation of the sanctuary, which began two years ago. After dedicating the altar, the bishop celebrated Mass for the Sixth Sunday of Easter.

Little Sister of the Poor Veronica Coyle, assistant administrator, at St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly here, marked her 50th jubilee anniversary in religious life with a Mass on May 1 in the chapel of the home.

In solidarity with the thousands of Christians being persecuted for their faith, orange is the new color for martyrdom. At weekend Masses May 2-3 in St. Michael Church in Netcong, parishioners donned their Sunday best wearing the color orange.

For El Salvadorians the beatification of Archbishop Oscar Romero has been a long time coming. Gunned down while celebrating Mass on March 24, 1980, he is considered a martyr for the faith to his fellow countrymen and the world.

Richard Fritzky never thought that one day he would end up on the other side of the hospital gurney, facing death, suffering unbearable pain and ultimately learning to live with a host of debilitating disabilities — including the amputation of all four of his limbs.

Bishop Serratelli ordained 10 diocesan seminarians to the transitional diaconate May 8 in St. Philip the Apostle Church here, which brought the men a step closer to the priesthood.

Brownstone raking of the joints commences, façade inspection survey continues, roof repairs progress, and the truss repairs are completed!

In this day and age where there are constant threats to our faith, to our families, to the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, and to our religious liberty, prayer is needed now more than ever.

For the last 10 years, polls have indicated a steady increase in support of same-sex unions. In fact, The Wall Street Journal recently reported a March-February 2015 poll showing that 59 percent of Americans now support same-sex “marriages.”

The diocesan facilities department has launched a pilot project to assist pastors to have inspections of buildings on parish properties completed in order to maintain the structural integrity of the facilities and to ensure their safety.

Msgr. Mark Giordani, rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson, and founder of the Christian Riders Motorcycle Club, celebrated the 46th annual Motorcycle Mass May 3 outside the cathedral on the corner of Main and Grand Streets.

In honor and in gratitude for the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers who keep neighborhoods safe in the Paterson Diocese and communities beyond, the annual diocesan Blue Mass was celebrated May 5 at St. Gerard Church in Paterson.

The prayers of the rosary ring from a loudspeaker in the back of a truck that inches down a busy street in New York City one day during this past Lent. Behind the vehicle, a procession of 300 Catholics, prays along with the announcer. Among the faithful is Kerry Weber, managing editor of America magazine, who takes up an invitation to head to the front and carry the cross that leads the group — a moment that gives her a perfect metaphor for spiritual reflection.

Parishioners at Our Lady of the Lake (OLL) here have been getting more acquainted with the importance of making known the joy of realizing God’s plan for building healthy marriages and faith-filled Catholic families — especially to a secular society that continues to move further away from the family and traditional values.

Pope Francis has been centering his catechesis for his weekly general audience on the family as part of the lead-up to the World Day of Families in September in Philadel­phia and October’s Synod of Bishops on the Family.

True greatness is born in a cradle tended by a loving mother. The long list of those who have recognized this reality includes statesmen, inventors, scientists, preachers and even comedians. Our first president, George Washington, observed that “all I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.”