Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made a pastoral visit to St. Monica Parish in Sussex June 6 where he celebrated Mass to mark the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. During the Mass, the Bishop administered the Sacrament of Confir­ma­tion to young people of the parish.

At some point in a young person’s life, he or she is asked the question, “Where are you going in life?” The question at times can seem daunting to answer, especially when there is no direction or guidance available to that person. To help answer this age-old question for young men, the diocesan Vocations Office is offering high school students (including those who just completed eighth grade and high school) Quo Vadis, a one-day retreat on Friday, June 25 at Camp Shiloh in Hewitt.

Today the sunlight that streams into the worship space in St. Philip the Apostle Church in Clifton casts a new light — in a bright rainbow of colors — on the faith of the 77-year-old parish through a series of 13 new windows that tell a story of its patron saint, its history, and its mission etched in luminescent stained-glass images.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney helped 35 priests to celebrate significant anniversaries of their priesthood — from 25 to 65 years in priestly ministry — during the annual diocesan Priests Jubilee Mass on June 1 in Corpus Christi Church in Chatham Township. He thanked all the honored priests for saying, “yes” to God’s call to priesthood.

Dressed just like they did on the day of their First Holy Communion day, 44 children from parishes around the Diocese met with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney for the Diocese’s annual Eucharistic Catechesis held in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson June 6, the Feast of Corpus Christi. An event created by Bishop Emeritus Serratelli to remind children about the gift of receiving Jesus through the Eucharist, Bishop Sweeney continued the tradition as he presided at the celebration for the first time.

For nearly half a century, the Hyde Amendment and related provisions have protected taxpayers from funding abortions. These policies have had broad support from Democrats and Republicans. They have been enacted and signed into law by Congresses and Presidents of both political parties.

On May 6, I had the privilege of celebrating the Baccalaureate Mass for St. Elizabeth’s University, in Convent Station. In the past week, in the course of five days, I participated in the commencement exercises at four high schools: Mary, Help of Christians in North Haledon and our three diocesan high schools, DePaul Catholic, Morris Catholic, and Pope John XXIII. As I was asked to share some remarks on those occasions, I encouraged the students to be grateful, especially to their parents and family, to their teachers, coaches, school staff, and administrators. I also encouraged the students to continue to live a life of faith, guided and strengthened by prayer, weekly Mass, and an openness to their vocation, or God’s plan for their lives.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the principal celebrant of the annual Memorial Day Mass at 10:30 a.m. May 31 in the Calvary Mausoleum chapel in Paterson. Father Peter VB Wells, director of the diocesan Cemetery Office, and pastor of Our Lady of the Valley and Holy Cross parishes in Wayne, was one of the concelebrants of the Mass.