More Good News

The parish community of St. Anthony in Hawthorne welcomed Bishop Serratelli during his pastoral visit Sept. 1. During his visit, the Bishop celebrated Mass for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Francis de Sales Parish in the McAfee section of Vernon Township where he celebrated Mass marking the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Sept. 8. During the Mass, the Bishop installed Father Christopher Barkhausen as pastor of St. Francis Parish.

Father Darwin Lastra was officially installed as pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish here by Bishop Serratelli during the vigil Mass on Sept. 7 marking the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Father Lastra was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 2015 in St. Philip the Apostle Church in Clifton and his first assignment was at St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison as parochial vicar.

Years ago, Polish-born Bogusia Stopka moved to West Milford, never thinking that she would ever worship at a Mass in her native language anywhere nearby until the establishment of the Polish Mission at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, which celebrated its 10th anniversary on Sept. 8 with a Mass and banquet afterward. The Polish Mission held Mass for the anniversary in Queen of Peace Church, located in the Hewitt section of West Milford.

With help from Bishop Serratelli, the local Vocationist religious community reopened the Sanctuary of Mary, Our Lady of the Holy Spirit here Sept. 7 — carrying on the mission of the late Father Sylvester J.M. Livolsi, who founded the popular religious site, which most recently closed in 2014. Along with the Bishop, the Vocationists broke ground on a retreat center in Branchville, expanding the popular priest’s vision for this peaceful out-of-the-way place which he built to help visiting faithful get closer to Jesus through his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In recognition for the outstanding service they provide for their parishes, communities and the world, Bishop Serratelli honored 103 individuals, couples and families at this year’s diocesan Vivere Christus Est Awards on Sept. 8. This was the 10th year the ceremony has been held to honor the laity. At the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, family, friends, priests and well-wishers filled the cathedral to standing room only and witnessed as the Bishop presented each one of the 103 honorees

The Bishop’s Annual Appeal (BAA) is set to kick off at Masses in parishes across the Dio­cese this weekend, Sept. 14-15, giving the faithful the opportunity to once again support the good works of the Church of Paterson. Guided by the theme, “For I was hungry…”, the appeal invites parishioners to help fund ministries that serve the poor, the sick and the needy through diocesan Catholic Charities; urban elementary school students; diocesan seminarians; priests’ extraordinary healthcare needs and priests living at Nazareth Village, the diocesan priests’ retirement residence in Chester. Parishes also have the opportunity by exceeding their goal to receive a parish rebate, which can be used for the parish’s own needs.