During Lent, faithful at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Lake Hopatcong had the opportunity to renew their commitment to helping the poor or pledge to get more involved in social justice thanks to a faith-formation series that deepened their understanding of social teachings in Scripture and the Church.

For the Catholic woman, being feminine, faithful and fearless in today’s society can be a challenge. But more than 200 women were inspired to take on that challenge at the third annual Women’s Conference titled, “Feminine, Faithful and Fearless,” that was hosted at St. Paul Inside the Walls, the Diocesan Evangelization Center April 9.

Bishop Serratelli presi­ded at the annual diocesan celebration for World Day for Conse­crated Life in St. Philip the Apostle Church in Clifton April 10. At the evening prayer service, Sister of Christian Charity Mary Edward Spohrer, provincial superior of the Sisters of Christian Charity in Mendham, who formerly served the Diocese as chancellor/delegate for religious, received the papal award, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, from Bishop Serratelli.

Since 1883, the University of Notre Dame in Indiana has awarded its prestigious Laetare Medal annually to an American Catholic “in recognition of outstanding service to the Church and society.” However, the selection of Vice President Joseph Biden as one of this year’s recipients of the award, has drawn objections from the local ordinary, faculty, students and alumni.

Last fall, Julie and J.B. O’Kane of St. Virgil Parish, Morris Plains, finally got serious about learning how to develop a budget. The parents of five children, ages 5 to 21, decided to look to a solid financial plan — along with wisdom from the Bible — to help them pay down their debt and save for retirement, a rainy day and their kids’ college education —all while having some money left over at the end of the month.

What are the most in-demand items available at the tables manned by John Corr Family Resources volunteers at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Morristown? The hurried rush of needy clients toward two tables at its 10 a.m. opening on a recent Friday morning makes plain the answer: diapers, baby wipes and all kinds of soap, including those for the bath, babies, clothing, counters and dishes.

In its continuous effort to help those suffering from addiction, Straight and Narrow (S&N), an agency of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Paterson, will soon open the doors to O’Connor Hall, which will serve as its new halfway house for men.

With one of the most diverse communities in the Paterson Diocese, St. Stephen Parish in Paterson marked Divine Mercy Sunday with a tri-lingual Mass celebrated in English, Polish and Spanish April 3. The feast was designated by St. John Paul II and has taken place on the Second Sunday of Easter since 2001. It is based on the diaries of a young Polish nun named St. Faustina Kowlaska and her encounters with Jesus, who presented himself to her as Divine Mercy during the 1930s.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Bonaventure Church in Paterson and celebrated Mass for the Second Sunday of Easter, also known as Divine Mercy Sunday April 3. During his visit, the Bishop administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to young people of the parish.

The Catholic identity of Georgetown University — the country’s oldest Catholic university — is being called into question by Catholic leaders, alumni and organizations who are leveling criticism at the Jesuit-run institution for defending a student group’s invitation to have Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood, speak there this month. Georgetown has defended the group’s right to invite the abortion advocate, though it said the invitation does not represent an endorsement on behalf of Georgetown.