‘Promoting New Evangelization’

STIRLING  When a pilgrim steps foot on the grounds of the Shrine of St. Joseph here, 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.”

Father Berry was among the 600 participants who listened to the Pope in the Vatican’s Sala Regia and he returned home inspired to expand the outreach of the Shrine of St. Joseph. “It was a great gathering to help those who serve at shrines understand the shrine’s role in the Church’s evangelization efforts,” he said. “The Holy Father expressed and identified that shrines were one of the three key dimensions of promoting the ‘New Evangelization.’ ”

During the three-day conference, Father Berry met shrine directors from countries all around the world including Pakistan, Egypt, South Korea and from Europe and Latin American. “We really got to witness the incredible internationality of the Church being present during these days in Rome,” said Father Berry.

Because shrines are not parishes, said Father Berry, they are one of the key dimensions to the new evangelization. “People come to shrines seeking God and the presence of God. Shrines should always be places of welcome at any time and in any situation,” he said. In 2017, Pope Francis made the decision to move shrines and sanctuaries under the direction of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.

For nearly 95 years, the Shrine of St. Joseph has offered a place for devotion to its visitors. The Shrine of St. Joseph was established in 1924 by Father Thomas August Judge, who founded the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. The Shrine of St. Joseph has the distinction of possibly being the only shrine not associated with a parish in the Paterson Diocese. Other shrines nearby include the Blue Army Shrine in Washington, N.J. and Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, Pa. The largest shrine in the U.S. is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

Throughout the year, the shrine offers Catholics many ways to find and spend time with God. Mass is celebrated every day in the chapel and those seeking the Sacrament of Reconciliation can find a priest to hear confessions every afternoon.

On Sundays, there’s an 8 a.m. Mass in English and an 11:45 a.m. Mass in Spanish. The Emmaus Christian Community, an International Eucharistic Community, also gathers for Mass together every Sunday at 9:45 a.m. Special Saturday vigil Masses at 5:30 p.m. are held on the first Saturday of each month to Our Lady of Good Health, also known as Our Lady of Valankanni, and on the third Saturday of each month a Filipino Mass is celebrated. Many groups including Confirmation groups come to the shrine for retreats.

“Our mission is to offer people support in addition to their own home parishes and allow them to be instruments of good at their own places of worship,” said Father Berry. “We also gather together people to celebrate their culture and life experiences, reinforcing their faith.”

The shrine also offers a recovery ministry, the “I Thirst” Initiative, to help those recovering from addictions to find hope and healing through the 12-step program.

“The conference and meeting with Pope Francis gave a sense of the apostolic potential and creative evangelization that shrines offer,” Father Berry said. “They have the ability to be places for people to gather. The conferences helped to focus the role of the shrine in the entire work of the Church.”