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Bishop Kevin Sweeney made a pastoral visit to St. Simon Parish in Green Pond marking the Fifth Sunday of Easter April 2. During the visit, the Bishop administered the Sacrament of Confir­mation to young people of the parish, who had prepared for the Sacra­ment for two years in the parish’s Confirmation program.

Ten years ago, the Diocese of Paterson offered a house in Clifton on Valley Road that formerly served as the diocesan Offices for Clergy Personnel and Priestly Life allowing a group of eight young women to be the first residents of Casa Guadalupe, a house of discernment and prayer. Since its opening on April 2, 2011, the house has offered young women in the very early stages of a vocation to religious life, marriage or lay consecrated life, a place to discern God’s plan for their lives, live in community and to pray in deep contemplation and communication with God.

The faith community of St. Catherine of Bologna Parish in Ringwood welcomed Bishop Kevin Sweeney on his pastoral visit on May 1 where he was the main celebrant and homilist for the 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. vigil Masses for the 5th Sunday of Easter. During his visit, the Bishop administered the sacrament of Confirmation to a total of 45 young people of the parish during the two Masses.

A small group of Catholic men have been taking time out of their busy lives to learn how to “suit up” as warriors for Christ, as part of “Into the Breach,” a weekly virtual video-and-discussion series, produced by the Knights of Columbus and the Diocese of Phoenix, Ariz.

Jerellyne Santos, a fourth-grader from St. Gerard Majella School in Paterson, felt an unusual mix of being “nervous and excited” Sunday afternoon, May 2. She helped her family recite the rosary as they often do but on that day, in a much larger place than a room in their home — on the lawn of the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling, leading in prayer more than 300 people, including Bishop Kevin Sweeney.

To honor and give thanks for the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who serve in law enforcement, the Paterson Diocese hosted its 21st annual Blue Mass May 4 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. Bishop Kevin Sweeney, celebrating his first Blue Mass as Bishop of Paterson, was main celebrant and homilist. Many priests from around the Diocese, who serve as police chaplains for local departments, were concelebrants of the Mass.

John Merritt, vice principal of student life of DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, has been “bleeding green” — the school color — for nearly half a century. He is a member of the Class of ’71 and has devoted his entire 44-year career to the school, holding just about every position as a teacher and administrator. Last week, Bishop Sweeney appointed Merritt to the top leadership post: president of DePaul, effective July 1.

Behind closed doors in the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel monastery in Morristown, a community of Discalced Carmelite sisters live out the beauty of their faith by devoting much of their time to praying for the Church and the world — far from the busy world outside its doors. But in recent years, the public face of the cloistered sisters — the exterior of its beautiful monastery — has been in need of significant cosmetic and safety repairs.

Bishop Kevin Sweeney administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to young people at St. Clare Parish in Clifton during his pastoral visit April 25 where he celebrated Mass marking the Fourth Sunday of Easter, which was also Good Shepherd Sunday.

Bishop Kevin Sweeney made a pastoral visit to St. Jude Church in Hopatcong April 24 where he celebrated the vigil Mass marking the Fourth Sunday of Easter, which was also Good Shepherd Sunday. During the Mass, young people of St. Jude’s received the Sacrament of Confirmation, administered by the Bishop.

Bishop Kevin Sweeney has appointed Father Marc Mancini as diocesan Judicial Vicar for the Tribunal Office, effective May 1. The appointment follows the death on March 11 of Msgr. Edward Kurtyka, who had served in that position since 1995. Father Mancini, pastor of St. James of the Marches Parish in Totowa since 2019, has officially served in the diocesan Tribunal Office since 1999 after receiving his licentiate degree in canon law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

With the pandemic turning 2020 upside down, 46 couples who marked 50 years of marriage last year were finally able to celebrate their golden anniversaries and renew their marriage vows before Bishop Kevin Sweeney in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson April 25. To celebrate this joyful milestone, the couples attended the Diocese’s Gold Anniversary Mass at which Bishop Sweeney honored the couples for their fidelity to each other and to the Sacra­ment of Matrimony for five decades.

Bishop Kevin Sweeney stopped by practice for the Morris Catholic High School baseball team on school’s campus in Denville on April 16. He toured the athletic facilities for the Crusaders and then spoke with the players about sports, life, and faith.

Young people at St. Bonaven­ture Parish in Paterson received the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Kevin Sweeney during his pastoral visit April 18, which also marked the Third Sunday of Easter.

Bishop Kevin Sweeney made a pastoral visit to St. Mary Church here April 17 where he celebrated the vigil Mass marking the Third Sunday of Easter. During the visit he administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to young people of the parish, who were prepared for the Sacrament by the parish’s religious education program.

For many Polish-American parents, instilling the culture from their homeland in their children is an important priority and a strong part of that culture is the Catholic faith. The John Paul II Supplementary Polish School was founded 15 years ago in 2006 to serve as a school to teach the Polish language to children in grades k to nine and the culture, traditions, history, and geography of the Eastern European country and the Catholic faith. Like so many countries, the Catholic faith is embedded in Poland’s culture.

The peaceful presence of the Blessed Mother in St. Vincent Martyr Church in Madison on April 12 during a visit by the National Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, inspired churchgoers to pray the rosary to her with hope in Christ for a world today that is plunged into great darkness. They asked her Son for an end to the pandemic, peace for a world filled with discord and for what one man called the coming of a glorious “explosion” of Christianity: a conversation of all mankind to Jesus in a world that currently lacks faith and has lost its moral footing.

Catholic catechetical leaders and catechists need to walk a fine but solid line when ministering to people who suffer confusion about their sexual identity or gender. With great compassion, they should work to build loving relationships with these afflicted people, while staying true to the Gospel proclamation that God made marriage exclusively for one man and one woman — all to help bring them closer to Christ.

With great power comes great responsibility and at the latest youth Mass and Holy Hour, Bishop Kevin Sweeney encouraged high school and college students from across the Diocese that through the Holy Spirit each one of them is called to be witnesses to God’s love. It was the third installment of a series of youth nights the Bishop has hosted in the Diocese.

Christ the King Parish in New Vernon welcomed Bishop Kevin Sweeney, who served as main celebrant and homilist of the April 10 vigil Mass for Divine Mercy Sunday, also the Second Sunday of Easter.