Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Our Lady of Pompei Church (OLP) in Paterson where he celebrated Mass for the Feast of the Holy Family, Dec. 30.

It only took a few preparations for Elizabeth Poore of Holy Family Parish here to get ready for her faith-filled mission — a winter coat, a backpack and small headphones filled with Christmas music. During early December, this lifelong parishioner set off to canvas her neighborhood in Florham Park and a few local housing developments to deliver a special Christmas gift door to door to fellow members of her community: copies of “The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity” by Matthew Kelly.

Over centuries, masterpiece paintings have artfully captured the beauty and drama of many defining moments in Christ’s life — from sweet scenes of his Nativity to emotional depictions of a “doubting” St. Thomas touching Jesus’ wounds after his Crucifixion and Resur­rection. But recently, a diocesan priest suggested that Catholics could get more — and deeper — spiritual insights about Jesus, Mary and other biblical figures than meet the eye by opening their hearts to Christ in prayer and contemplation, as they view these religiously-themed works of art.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit Jan. 1 to St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Paterson where he celebrated Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on New Year’s Day, a Holy Day of Obligation.

When a pilgrim steps foot on the grounds of the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling, the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity hope they find a place of welcome and hospitality. That was one of the many messages Missionary Servant Father Dennis Berry, director of the Stirling shrine, heard from Pope Francis during the first International Convention of Rectors and Pastoral Workers of Shrines, sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. The convention, held in Rome, focused on the theme, “The Shrine: The Open Door for the New Evangelization.”

Omaha attorney Brian Buescher, a Catholic and member of the Knights of Columbus, was nominated by President Trump to serve on the U.S. District Court in Nebraska. But when the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on his nomination, U. S. Senators Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Kamala Harris of California, both Democrats, asked Buescher if he was willing to end his longtime membership in the Knights of Columbus if confirmed because in their view, the organization holds “extreme beliefs,” which they felt would cloud his ability to fairly judge cases.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Simon the Apostle Parish in Green Pond on Christmas morning Dec. 25 where he celebrated Mass for the Nativity of the Lord.

Bishop Serratelli made his annual Christmas pastoral visit to Straight and Narrow, an agency of diocesan Catholic Charities in Paterson, where he led a prayer service Dec. 22. During the service, the Bishop blessed clients who are currently in recovery at the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Jude Parish in Budd Lake Dec. 22 where he celebrated the vigil Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Jude Parish in Flanders Dec. 22 where he celebrated the vigil Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

On Dec. 24, marking the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord on Christmas Eve, Bishop Serratelli celebrated the 9 p.m. vigil Mass with parishioners of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson.

The piercing blue eyes of a Baby Jesus figurine stare up from a wooden crib on the back deck of a house on Sunset Terrace in Wayne — part of an unusual manger scene which recalls more than the Holy Family’s long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem and Christ’s birth. The crèche outside the home of Robert and Jean Barkovitz also tells the story of Jesus’ humble beginnings and love for the forgotten from abandoned doll on the roadside to object of admiration this Christmas.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates from across the country descend upon the nation’s capital for the world’s largest pro-life event to be a voice for the voiceless — babies in the womb. Across the Diocese of Paterson parishes have begun preparations to participate in the 46th annual March for Life to be held Jan. 18.

On Jan. 14, thousands of Catholics across the country will join in prayer for “9 Days for Life.” The prayer campaign, sponsored by the Committee on Pro Life Activities of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, leads up to the annual Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children on Jan. 22. The novena and day of prayer are a time of recollection and reparation in observation of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade — the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal throughout the United States.