More Good News

It took but an instant for Anthony’s “silly and smiley” personality to capture Katie Church’s attention three years ago. Every day, the sprightly four-year-old boy visited a compound run by the Salesian religious order in his impoverished village of Masaya in Nicaragua, where Church and fellow missioners tutored and played with him and other local children. Anthony was short but still wanted to do what the older kids did, so Church lifted him up to the basketball hoop so he could take a shot with the ball.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Agnes Parish in Paterson Jan. 19 where he celebrated Mass for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Bishop’s visit also came near the feast day (Jan. 21) of the parish’s patron, St. Agnes, virgin and martyr, who is patron saint of girls, chastity, Girl Scouts, engaged couples, virgins and rape victims.

This year is a special year for Catholic Charities’ Department for Persons with Disabilities as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of Murray House’s annual dinner dance. The celebratory event will be held at the Brownstone in Paterson from 6 to 11 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 16. To mark this milestone, DPD will be presenting lifetime achievement awards to dozens of recipients to celebrate its history and give thanks to those who have made a lasting impact through their support to the agency through the years.

The reviews are in: the Our Lady’s Face line of beauty products keeps skin soft, clean and supple and helps fade wrinkles. But what is the secret ingredient of these all-natural skin-care products, made by the young women of Casa Guadalupe in Clifton: coconut oil, aloe vera, or essential oils, such as lavender? Jennifer Dircio, who has lived at the diocesan house of discernment and prayer for women here since May, thinks the “something special” is “prayer”: intentions that they offer over the beauty products — a cleanser, toner, a facial scrub, a moisturizer and an eye serum — as they make them.

A group of 10 adults from St. Michael Parish in Netcong — working professionals including a nurse, a deacon and his wife, and some who were grandparents — journeyed together for one week earlier this month to Kingston, Jamaica to serve with the Missionaries of the Poor.