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.