The Paterson Federation Knights of Columbus honored Bishop Serratelli at its annual Bishop’s Night held Jan. 18 at Our Lady of the Holy Angels Parish in Little Falls. More than 40 councils from the Paterson Diocese, the state council and various assemblies, attended the event at which the councils presented Bishop Serratelli with donations to be used for diocesan ministries, including seminarian education and diocesan Catholic Charities agencies.

A recent reading of Matthew 16:13-21 — when Jesus told his disciples that he is the Christ and when he named Peter leader of his Church — left Gloria Blanco with as many questions as answers. The young adult of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Morristown started wondering, among other things, “Why did Jesus pick Peter as the head of his Church?”

The large sign proclaimed loud and clear in startling pink and black, “I’m Against Baby Murder.” Rising high in the air, the brightly colored banner shouted out its powerful pro-life message against the killing of the unborn in the womb to a great many of the more than 100,000 pro-lifers to see at the 46th Annual March for Life on Jan. 18 in Washington, D.C. Holding the sign was Gabriele Andrade of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, who walked the walk of the March — her first ever — with pro-lifers from around the U.S., 40 years after she walked the walk when she had a baby at 15-years-old.

Sunday begins a special week in the Paterson Diocese and across the nation. It’s the start of Catholic Schools Week as schools celebrate their achievements with their faith community and the community at-large through event-filled days that offer an inside look at the innovative and cutting-edge educational opportunity they offer in an atmosphere of love and caring for every student.

Parishioners of Our Lady of Fatima (OLF) in Highland Lakes gathered for Mass recently for the consecration of a new altar — a new Eucharistic Table, made of granite — a wood-colored slab of stone that not only tells its own geological history, but also helps mark a new era of extensive physical and spiritual revitalization for this rural faith community. OLF’s new altar was the result of fine craftsmanship, in part, by the human hands of a parishioner, Tadeusz Flig.

Catholic schools in the Paterson Diocese will be much safer, thanks to legislation that will provide an additional $11.3 million in security funding to non-public schools across the state. The new law doubles the amount of security funding per student from $75 to $150 for non-public schools. The expanded state funding will allow non-public schools to update and strengthen the security at their schools.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Joseph Church in Paterson and celebrated Mass for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jan. 13. Concelebrant of the Mass was Father Janusz Rzadca, pastor of St. Joseph Parish.

The parish community of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Wayne welcomed Bishop Serratelli, who made a pastoral visit and celebrated the vigil Mass for the Baptism of the Lord Jan. 12.

As many pro-lifers prepare to travel to the nation’s capital for the 46th annual March for Life tomorrow, Jan. 18, New Jerseyans have the opportunity to be a voice for the voiceless closer to home on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at the N.J. Right to Life’s annual Rally for Life in Trenton.

Audiences watched spellbound as the lights went down in the auditorium at St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Clifton and the curtain went up for the red-carpet premiere of a new local independent film in early December. Some young people here viewed it with fascination, while some older parishioners cried — all getting swept up not in the latest art-house movie, but in “Greater Works,” a homegrown documentary about the real and just-as-powerful 75-year history of St. Philip’s, now on DVD and Blu-Ray.

An analysis by the Pew Research Center shows that the new, 116th Congress is slightly more diverse when it comes to religious affiliations than the prior Congress.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Michael Parish in Netcong where he celebrated the vigil Mass for the Feast of the Holy Family, Dec. 30.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Our Lady of Pompei Church (OLP) in Paterson where he celebrated Mass for the Feast of the Holy Family, Dec. 30.

It only took a few preparations for Elizabeth Poore of Holy Family Parish here to get ready for her faith-filled mission — a winter coat, a backpack and small headphones filled with Christmas music. During early December, this lifelong parishioner set off to canvas her neighborhood in Florham Park and a few local housing developments to deliver a special Christmas gift door to door to fellow members of her community: copies of “The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity” by Matthew Kelly.

Over centuries, masterpiece paintings have artfully captured the beauty and drama of many defining moments in Christ’s life — from sweet scenes of his Nativity to emotional depictions of a “doubting” St. Thomas touching Jesus’ wounds after his Crucifixion and Resur­rection. But recently, a diocesan priest suggested that Catholics could get more — and deeper — spiritual insights about Jesus, Mary and other biblical figures than meet the eye by opening their hearts to Christ in prayer and contemplation, as they view these religiously-themed works of art.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit Jan. 1 to St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Paterson where he celebrated Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on New Year’s Day, a Holy Day of Obligation.

When a pilgrim steps foot on the grounds of the Shrine of St. Joseph in Stirling, the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity hope they find a place of welcome and hospitality. That was one of the many messages Missionary Servant Father Dennis Berry, director of the Stirling shrine, heard from Pope Francis during the first International Convention of Rectors and Pastoral Workers of Shrines, sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization. The convention, held in Rome, focused on the theme, “The Shrine: The Open Door for the New Evangelization.”

Omaha attorney Brian Buescher, a Catholic and member of the Knights of Columbus, was nominated by President Trump to serve on the U.S. District Court in Nebraska. But when the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on his nomination, U. S. Senators Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Kamala Harris of California, both Democrats, asked Buescher if he was willing to end his longtime membership in the Knights of Columbus if confirmed because in their view, the organization holds “extreme beliefs,” which they felt would cloud his ability to fairly judge cases.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Simon the Apostle Parish in Green Pond on Christmas morning Dec. 25 where he celebrated Mass for the Nativity of the Lord.

Bishop Serratelli made his annual Christmas pastoral visit to Straight and Narrow, an agency of diocesan Catholic Charities in Paterson, where he led a prayer service Dec. 22. During the service, the Bishop blessed clients who are currently in recovery at the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.