The Bishops in the state of N.J. released a statement last Thursday through the N.J. Catholic Conference to express their “disappointment and outrage over Gov. Murphy’s announcement regarding proposed legislation to expand access to abortion.” If enacted, this legislation would mandate health insurance coverage for abortions, codify regulations that permit non-physicians to perform abortions and create a public fund that dedicates taxpayer money to pay for abortions.
The Catholic Bishops of New Jersey join to express our disappointment and outrage over Gov. Murphy’s announcement regarding proposed legislation to expand access to abortion in New Jersey, an act that by its very nature terminates human life. If enacted, this legislation would mandate health insurance coverage for abortions, codify regulations that permit non-physicians to perform abortions; and create a public fund that dedicates taxpayer money to pay for abortions.
Sister of Charity Deborah Humphreys of Convent Station heeded some sage advice from her family early on as part of discerning religious life. “My grandmother said, ‘Join the convent and you’ll be happy.’ My father said, ‘Enter the convent and see the world.’ They were right,” the religious sister said.
In the wake of the bombshell leak of the opinion in the Dobbs case May 3, which indicates that Roe v. Wade will be overturned, the furor from pro-abortion activists and politicians continues unabated. Despite the mass hysteria from the abortion activists involved in vandalizing pregnancy centers and churches and their anti-Catholic bigotry, which is cheered on by their violent commentary on social media platforms, the pro-life movement remains resolute in protecting life in the womb and caring for pregnant women in crisis.
Traditionally, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord has been celebrated 40 days after Easter in keeping with the Scriptural reference in Acts: “He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Easter is a moveable feast, being celebrated on a different date in March or April every year. But 40 days after Easter will always be a Thursday. For pastoral reasons, the Solemnity of the Ascension, which joyfully celebrates the completion of Christ’s work of redemption, can be transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to young people of Christ the King Parish in New Vernon on May 3. Young people of the parish prepared for the Sacrament through the parish’s Confirmation program, which is a two-year program of preparation.
On Mother’s Day, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney led the annual May Crowning, a tradition during the month of May to honor the Blessed Mother, in St. Peter the Apostle Church in Parsippany May 8.
For the past year, Filipinos from around the world celebrated 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The theme of the jubilee celebration was “Gifted to Give.” The yearlong celebration in the Diocese concluded April 30 at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson with Mass. Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli was the main celebrant of the closing Mass. The Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries (DCCFM) organized the yearlong celebration with several events throughout the Diocese.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to teenagers at St. Catherine of Bologna Parish in Ringwood during the vigil Mass marking the Fourth Sunday of Easter on May 7.
A teacher in high school asked a young Roberta Reifsnyder if she ever considered becoming a religious sister. Her answer? “No way!” This sophomore was dreaming of a fulfilling career and loving family. Although not that interested, she later went with another woman on a discernment retreat sponsored by the Sisters of Christian Charity.
Tri-County Scholarship Fund (TCSF) presented its annual Women of Achievement Awards to two members of Religious Teachers Filippini, Sister Marie Antonelli, principal of Holy Spirit School in Pequannock, and Sister Jo-Ann Pompa, principal of St. Gerard Majella School in Paterson, at the ninth annual awards luncheon May 4, at the Park Avenue Club in Florham Park.
Young people at St. Clare Church in Clifton received the Sacrament of Confirmation, which was administered by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney May 8, the Fourth Sunday of Easter and Mother’s Day.
News about the leak of a draft decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on May 2 that would likely overturn the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 that legalized abortion in the nation has drawn intense scrutiny throughout the country. The possibility of such a historic ruling prompted pro-abortion advocates to anger and to protest, while many pro-life supporters expressed joy, guarded hope, and a continued vow to stand up for the unborn, particularly in New Jersey, where abortion up to the moment of birth is legal.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney led the Diocese in thanking members of law enforcement for risking their lives to protect their communities and keep them safe and recognized those officers who died in the line of duty during the Diocese’s 22nd Annual Blue Mass on May 3 at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. The Bishop, the principal celebrant of the Blue Mass, honored these fallen heroes for making the ultimate sacrifice: having “laid down their lives in love for their friends and even strangers.”
Watching the evening news over the weekend and seeing a video of police cruisers parked outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City with a reporter’s voiceover telling viewers they were placed there due to possible violent pro-abortion protests against Catholics attending Masses on Mother’s Day was both chilling and sad.
As we approached Mother’s Day, there was a line from the First Reading at Sunday Mass from the Acts of the Apostles that resonated with me more and more as the weekend progressed. On this past Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, which, this year, was “Good Shepherd Sunday,” World Day of Prayer for Vocations, and Mother’s Day, the last line of the First Reading told us, “… The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 13:52)
Todo lo que recibimos en el transcurso de nuestra vida es un regalo inmerecido de nuestro Dios quien es benévolo y generoso, y si todo es un regalo, lo mínimo que podemos hacer al ser sus hijos amados es dedicar un buen tiempo a la semana para participar en la Santa Misa y así alabar y dar gracias a Dios. En realidad, una vez a la semana no es suficiente. Cada día debe ser un día de acción de gracias. Dios ha sido, es y será tan bueno con nosotros. Él nos ha estado bendiciendo, glorifiquemos al Señor a través de nuestras vidas.
On the fourth Thursday of November each year, Americans gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. We shop for necessary ingredients, prepare favorite dishes, enjoy special drinks, participate in holiday activities, share generations-old traditions, learn treasured recipes, and engage in lively conversation. We do not simply sit at the table — we set the table, express gratitude, pass plates of food, wash endless dishes, cheer for our favorite football teams, share our families’ stories, remember Thanksgivings past, anticipate what is to come, and, hopefully, say thank you before we leave. We actively participate … until it’s nap time!
La Presencia Real de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo está en el corazón de nuestra fe católica y es, ciertamente, uno de los misterios más importantes para la Iglesia Católica, porque implica creer en una Persona, creer en alguien y no algo, creer en un Dios Vivo y Verdadero. De acuerdo al documento “La Presencia Real de Jesucristo en el sacramento de la Eucaristía — Preguntas básica y respuestas” de la Conferencia Episcopal de Obispos americanos, desde tiempos inmemoriales la Iglesia ha sostenido que Jesús está realmente presente en el sacramento de la Eucaristía (19). Este sacramento es la “fuente y cumbre de toda la vida cristiana” (LG 11, CIC 1324), donde se recibe el Cuerpo, la Sangre, el Alma y Divinidad de Jesús.
As a Protestant Christian who believed that the Eucharist was merely a symbol, I was once faced with a quote from an early Church Father, written within 100 years of Christ, regarding the Eucharist: “They do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh which suffered for our sins and which that Father, in his goodness, raised up again” (St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6.2). I reasoned my way around it at the time, but I later came to believe, and it changed my life.
