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Three Daughters of Charity of the Most Precious Blood marked significant anniversaries in religious life during Mass celebrated in St. Gerard Majella Church in Paterson July 24. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was main celebrant of the Mass, which was concelebrated by diocesan and religious priests serving at the parish and beyond.

This summer, Finley Triano is giving back in a special way by sharing her dance talents with some of the residents of the Department for Persons with Disabilities (DPD) in Oak Ridge. A rising junior at Passaic County Technical Institute (PCTI) in Wayne, she has been spending some time during summer break and leading a dance group for those served by the DPD, an agency of diocesan Catholic Charities.

Watson Smith, 7, stands in the outfield and raises his baseball mitt, ready for the batter’s swing. On a hot July 22 morning, he and a group of fellow youngsters play America’s Pastime as part of “free time” activities, during the recent Summer Bible Camp at St. Pius X Parish in Montville, where they learned to rely on the all-powerful unseen “coach” in the game and in their lives: God.

To Samuel Milligan, 8, of Assumption Parish in Morristown, St. Joseph is “God’s hero.” During recent classes of Assump­tion’s Catechesis of the Good Shep­herd program, Milligan set down his thoughts about the beloved saint in a short, simple poem, which described him as “the father of Jesus, the husband of Mary, God’s hero.” It was one of more than 120 poems, prayers, and drawings that children of the parish’s faith formation program and Assumption School made for the Year of St. Joseph, now being celebrated by the Diocese and the universal Church.

Hispanic Catholics in the Diocese of Paterson spent a warm July day together for “Encuentro de Verano,” which translates to “summer encounter” at the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling July 24. The Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) hosted the daylong event which included prayer, a picnic, and fellowship. It was highlighted and concluded with the celebration of the vigil Mass marking the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant with Father Yasid Salas, pastor of St. Therese Church in Paterson and director of the Hispanic Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese, as the concelebrant. Spanish-speaking Catholics from all three counties in the Diocese and of all ages attended.

President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), both professing to be “devout Catholics,” have been in lockstep with other Democrats in expanding abortion access this year and are now trying to force taxpayers to pay for abor­tions by abandoning the Hyde Amendment.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made a pastoral visit to Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Highland Lakes July 18 where he celebrated Mass marking the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

On the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 16, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was main celebrant of Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middletown, N.Y. The shrine is operated by the Carmelite Friars of the St. Elias Province. It is located 20 miles north from the Paterson Diocese in New York state. In welcoming those in attendance, the Bishop said, “What a joy and privilege it is to be at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to celebrate the beautiful feast day of our Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Congregants sang “Ave Maria” at the vigil Mass on July 17 in Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Church in Cedar Knolls, as they delighted taking in a historic sight for the parish that evening: a procession of a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, their patron, around the worship space at the end of the liturgy. Churchgoers snapped photos with their cell phones, prayed, or watched the Our Lady of Mount Carmel statue during the procession — like the many such devotions to her held around the world and in parishes in the Diocese, including those named after her, on or around her July 16 feast day.

The Church in the U.S. is standing with the people of Cuba as they fight for basic human rights and their freedom from communist rule during protests that have erupted on the island nation, which is located just 90 miles south of Florida. On Sunday, July 18, N.J. bishops and priests came together with Cubans living in northern N.J. at St. Joseph of the Palisades Church here in prayer and solidarity to “Save Cuba from Tears and Anxiety.”

The bicentennial of our Cathedral Parish of St. John the Baptist, which was celebrated with such enthusiasm this past June 24, has prompted me to take a look at some of the features of the cathedral. For 35 years, two large statues of the apostles, Peter and Paul, have stood in niches on the sanctuary wall of the cathedral. Carved in wood in the 19th century in the Tyrol section of northern Italy, these two saints were not random choices made at the time of the 1987 renovations under Bishop Frank J. Rodimer, but rather represent three different aspects — historical, liturgical, and ecclesial — of the cathedral’s history and role.

Democrats in the House of Repre­sentatives last week continued their assault on life in the womb by advancing a new spending bill for the Depart­ment of Health and Human Ser­vices without the Hyde Amendment, and other longstanding, bipartisan provisions including the Weldon Amendment. Eliminating these provisions would force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions and force health care providers and professionals to perform and refer for abortion against their deeply held religious beliefs, as well as force employers and insurers to cover and pay for abortion.

Dear Grandfathers and Grandmothers, Dear Elderly Friends, “I am with you always.”
(Mt 28:20)
This is the promise the Lord made to his disciples before he ascended into heaven. They are the words that he repeats to you today, dear grandfathers and grandmothers, dear elderly friends. “I am with you always” are also the words that I, as Bishop of Rome and an elderly person like yourselves, would like to address to you on this first World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. The whole Church is close to you — to us — and cares about you, loves you and does not want to leave you alone!

Seven years ago, Dia Ciccone walked into youth ministry at Our Lady of Consolation (OLC) Parish in Wayne a shy sixth-grader. As a high-schooler, she found herself involved in parish activities — from Antioch retreats for Confirmation prep to holiday events such as Halloween pumpkin carving as well as volunteer work in the community. This recent graduate of Wayne Hills High School even joined peer ministry, which runs the activities, helping her grow in confidence.

Through the artwork of youths served by Diocesan Catholic Charities, the meaning of social justice was on full display reflecting a world in which all people are created equal. These paintings were featured during an art show held at the Father English Center in Paterson, which was made possible through a grant from the U.S. Bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). The young people participating in the art show are part of the Catholic Family and Community Services’ (CFCS) Outreach to At Risk Youth department.

Fifty-four teens and 20 chaperones from St. Joseph Parish in Mendham traveled to Paintsville, Ky., from June 20 to 26, as part of the parish’s 13th annual Teen Appalachia Mission Trip. The team worked in conjunction with Good Neighbors, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that serves the working poor in Johnson County, Kentucky.

Imagine leaving all the comforts of home behind to travel to a foreign land and help the world’s poor and vulnerable. For many, it would be a tough challenge, but for Bridget Bucardo Rivera, a parishioner of St. Mary’s in Pompton Lakes, it was a dream come true to be making a difference in the world working with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the U.S. Catholic Church’s official international humanitarian aid agency.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney ordained seven diocesan seminarians to the transitional diaconate on July 10, during a Mass in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson — their final step before being called to be ordained as priests of the Diocese in 2022. He urged the Church of Paterson’s newest deacons, “Never allow yourself to be turned away from the hope offered by the Gospel.”

As the grandfather of six — Grace Elizabeth, Mitchell Allan, Jacob Andrew, Ryan William, Julia Rose and Luke Andrew — I am looking forward to the Catholic Church’s first celebration of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on Sunday, July 25, the closest Sunday to the feast day (July 26) of Ss. Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.

When I concluded my previous column with the words, “As I complete my first year as Bishop, I am very grateful and I am looking forward with hope to the year and years ahead!” it had not occurred to me that, less than two weeks later, our Diocese would receive seven new transitional deacons and what a sign of hope these men are for our Church.