When the current St. Mary Help of Christians Church in Paterson opened in 1891, one newspaper at the time called it “the grandest and most imposing edifice” in the Totowa section of Paterson. Since the 1970s, the friendly faith community that worships under this “imposing” roof has welcomed waves of Spanish-speaking immigrants. The parish is carrying on a long legacy of inviting in newcomers, which started when it came in to existence 150 years ago, before the current church.

Stephen Kass, a member of a local Men of St. Joseph group, said he learned more about himself than he did about St. Joseph during this Year of St. Joseph, which Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney closed for the Diocese on Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, at a noon Mass he celebrated in St. Joseph Church in Newton, which was filled to capacity. “I was interested in the facts about St. Joseph, but it was more about what I have to work on in my life,” said Kass. “I need to work on being a man for others, like St. Joseph — at work, with my family, and in the group — and acting more as a servant leader,” he said.

On Gaudete Sunday, throughout the Diocese, the faithful came in huge numbers to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Masses, processions, and rosary rallies to mark the Marian event that took place exactly 490 years ago. Known as the Patroness of the Americas, the feast celebrates the apparition of the Blessed Mother to St. Juan Diego on Dec. 12, 1531 in Tepeyac, Mexico City, Mexico. While the Blessed Mother’s title, Our Lady of Guadalupe, is associated with a devotion for Mexi­cans, many around the Diocese and around the world celebrated the feast day, no matter what culture they came from.

An interesting case involving both religious freedom and school choice is now before the Supreme Court. It asks whether the state of Maine breaches the free exercise clause or equal protection clause of the First Amendment by barring students in a student-aid program from using their aid to attend schools offering a “sectarian” education.

As of Jan. 1, our Diocese will have a new Director of the Office of Faith Formation and Catechesis, Father Yojaneider Garcia. He was ordained a priest for our Diocese in 2014 and he has just completed two years of post-graduate study at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, achieving a master’s degree in Catechesis. We are grateful to Father Paul Manning, our Vicar for Evangeli­za­tion and his team at St. Paul Inside the Walls, as they have been “filling in” and covering the responsibilities of the Office of Faith Formation for the past year and a half, when there was no full time Director.

 Carmelite Sister Martha Tahlmeedah of Jesus, Master, made her final profession of vows at the Monastery of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel in Morristown Dec. 4 before Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.

When Elizabeth Valderama first came to the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women (PNCW) in Passaic eight years ago, little did she know it would be more than just a place to socialize and learn new skills. It would change her life. The welcoming setting offered her a place to feel empowered and meet like-minded women against the busyness of living in the inner city.

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Morristown had relics of St. Padre Pio available for veneration by the faithful this past weekend. Msgr. John Hart, pastor, celebrated a Mass in honor of St. Pio at 12:05 p.m. Dec. 6 with the faithful filling the church.

Just one week before Christmas Eve, the annual diocesan Christmas Concert will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, along with the diocesan choir, invite all the faithful to celebrate the season at the concert. Those who attend this annual concert can expect to hear Christmas classics and contemporary songs to ring in Christmas under the direction of Preston Dibble, diocesan director of music, with Vincent Carr, organist, and the Gramercy Brass Quintet.

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson is preparing to inspire Catholics in the Diocese and beyond to take up their roles as “missionary disciples,” who spread the Gospel as part of the New Evangeli­za­tion, through its new Pentecost Project. The Pentecost Project will consist of a series of weekly workshops to be held in both English and Spanish from Lent to Pentecost next year, by forming attendees in the basics of the faith while providing them with leadership skills needed to evangelize.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney has announced that the Diocese of Paterson will be launching a yearlong celebration of the Year of the Eucharist in 2022 to encourage the faithful to develop a greater love and appreciation of the Eucharist, “The source and summit of our faith.” It will begin on Sunday, Jan. 9, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

All of us who were privileged enough to attend a Catholic school in our youth, can conjure up fond memories of the religious who guided us, not only in our educational pursuits, but also in deepening our Catholic faith. For me personally, I am forever indebted to them for preparing me for my rigorous studies at the University of Notre Dame.

Dec. 8 was an opportunity to experience the unity which we share as members of the Universal Church, the “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic” Church. We have such an opportunity, to be united with the “mystical Body of Christ” each time we celebrate the Mass, as we believe that full, active participation in the celebration of the Eucharist (a.k.a. “Mass”), unites us, not only with the mystical Body, the whole Church, here on earth, but also with the “Church Triumphant” in heaven (a.k.a. the “Heavenly Liturgy”).

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Mass on Thanksgiving Day in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson Nov. 25.Thanksgiving Day is observed on the fourth Thursday during the month of November in the United States and special readings for Masses celebrated on Thanksgiving Day are available in the lectionary.

The Paterson Diocese Federation Knights of Columbus held their annual “Pride in Our Priests” dinner at Hanover Manor in Hanover Nov. 22. Traditionally, every November, the Paterson Federation encourages all its member councils of the Diocese to invite priests from their parishes to attend the dinner held in their honor as a way of thanking the priests for their service to the Church, the Diocese, their parish, and the community.

To mark the First Sunday of Advent, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made a pastoral visit to St. Nicholas / Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Passaic Nov. 28 where he celebrated Mass in St. Nicholas Church. During the Mass, the Bishop blessed the Advent wreath and lit the first candle on the wreath, which represents hope as Catholics worldwide await the coming of Christ on Christmas Day. The start of Advent also marks the beginning of the new liturgical year.

  During this Year of St. Joseph, Catholics in the universal Church, including those in the Paterson Diocese, learned more about this silent saint of Scripture, in part, by his many attributes and titles. They include as most chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary; devoted earthly father of Jesus; protector of the Holy Family and the Church; and a reliable intercessor in prayer.

In 1521, 500 years ago, the Catholic faith “landed” on the shores of the Philippines when the Magellan expedition came to the islands. Generations later, Filipinos from across the Diocese have continued the traditions of their ancestors by bringing “Simbang Gabi” to the Diocese of Paterson, where it has become a tradition for the past three decades. “Simbang Gabi” is a nine-day novena celebrated during Advent in preparation for the Nativity of Jesus Christ.

When we were children, we began to count the number of days left until Christmas as soon as Decem­ber started in anticipation of the gifts that would be under the Christmas tree for us. But for far too many children this year, that same joy we experienced as children will be missing this Christmas