During his Urbi et Orbi (“For the city and for the world”) Easter blessing, Pope Francis said Jesus’ Death and Resurrection provide hope to a world marred by conflict, proving that modern tragedies such as war and violence won’t have the final say.

Bishop Serratelli served as main celebrant and homilist of the Vigil Mass in Spanish on March 24 at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson in observance of Palm Sunday.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Our Lady of Fatima (OLF) Parish in Passaic on March 25 where he was the main celebrant and homilist for the 10:30 a.m. Mass in Spanish on Palm Sunday.

St. Joseph Parish in Passaic welcomed Bishop Serratelli, who led Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 4 p.m. in the church for Palm Sunday, March 25. It also included the Polish devotion, Gorzkie Zale, or “bitter lamentations.”

Bishop Serratelli was the homilist and main celebrant, with priests of the Diocese as concelebrants, at the Diocese’s annual Mass of Chrism March 26 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. It was the first Chrism Mass celebrated in the newly-renovated cathedral and for the first time was live streamed on the Diocese’s website (www.rcdop.org).

Can you spend an hour in prayer on Good Friday for those in the womb who have no voice? Those who support life will be doing just that as Morris County Right to Life is sponsoring an outdoor Stations of the Cross for the unborn in front of Planned Parenthood, 196 Speedwell Ave., Morristown, on Good Friday, March 30, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

During the season of Lent, parishioners of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Flanders have been getting opportunities to deepen their faith not only through insights about the Sunday Gospel readings in the homilies of the priests, who celebrate Mass, but also from some of their own. Each week, a parishioner and pastoral leader has been offering his or her own spiritual reflection, which gets posted on St. Elizabeth’s website — a part of the rural Morris County parish’s ambitious Ignite Program.

The faith community of St. Joseph Parish here on March 18 welcomed Bishop Serratelli, who served as main celebrant and homilist of the noon Mass to commemorate the Fifth Sunday of Lent. His visit also included Benediction. St. Joseph’s is the oldest parish in the Diocese and New Jersey.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit on March 17 to Holy Cross Parish in Wayne where he served as main celebrant and homilist of the 5 p.m. vigil Mass to mark the Fifth Sunday of Lent.

This Lent, a group of parishioners of St. Simon the Apostle in Green Pond have been sharing their walk with Jesus on the road to Calvary and “visiting” sites in the Holy Land related to his crucifixion, death and resurrection one night a week without having to leave the parish center — all thanks to their virtual tour guides, Bishop Serratelli and Father Richard Bay, their pastor.

Last month, donations of non-perishable food items quickly outgrew two bins that were placed in the lobby at Assumption School in Morristown as students and parents opened their hearts and steadily piled half the space high with boxes and bags of donations within three weeks. This expression of generosity at Assumption has been replicated by many elementary schools across the Diocese, as they continue to take turns collecting food items to replenish the food pantry of the Father English Community Center, Paterson, which was severely damaged by fire Nov. 2.

The reintroduction of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) in Congress is good news for all people of faith who believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. FADA would protect individuals and institutions from discrimination by the federal government based on whatever their beliefs about marriage are.

The faith community of St. Mary’s Parish in Pompson Lakes welcomed Bishop Serratelli who served as main celebrant and homilist of the 5 p.m. vigil Mass on Saturday, March 10, for the Fourth Sunday of Lent — also known as Laetare Sunday. Concelebrating the Mass was St. Mary’s pastor, Franciscan Father Gonzalo de Jesus Torres-Acosta, and Father Kevin Corcoran, diocesan vice chancellor and the Bishop’s priest secretary.

Bishop Serratelli served as main celebrant and homilist for the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, March 11 at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Parish in Wayne for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, also known as Laetare Sunday. Concelebrating the Mass were Father Daniel Kelly, IHM’s pastor, and Father Kevin Corcoran, diocesan vice chancellor and the Bishop’s priest secretary.

Bishop Serratelli has appointed Scott Milliken as the first-ever Chief Executive Officer of diocesan Catholic Charities, effective immediately. Milliken will lead the ongoing process of bringing together the three separate agencies of Catholic Charities — Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS), DPD and Straight and Narrow — under a single board of trustees in a major effort that started last year to streamline and improve services to the poor.

On Sunday, March 11, Bishop Serratelli presided over the annual combined Boy Scout and Girl Scout Sunday Mass in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here. At the Mass, he presented Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts with various religious awards and a special recognition for an adult Girl Scout leader.

Unfortunately, in today’s society nasty four letter words are commonplace in many conversations at home and in the workplace. They have become so much a part of the language that they pepper most conversations without an eyebrow being raised at their usage.

Bishop Serratelli served as main celebrant and homilist of the 11 a.m. Mass on March 4 for the Third Sunday of Lent during a pastoral visit to St. Thomas More Parish in Convent Station. Concelebrating the Mass was Father Das Choondassery, a weekend assistant at St. Thomas.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Therese Parish in Paterson March 3 where he served as main celebrant and homilist for the 8 p.m. Mass in Spanish with male catechumens for the Third Sunday of Lent.

On Sunday, March 4, more than 200 Legion of Mary members from 20 parishes in the Diocese gathered at Our Lady of the Lake (OLL) Church here with Bishop Serratelli to renew their consecration to Jesus through Mary.