Rich Sokerka retires after 32 years as Beacon editor, general manager

CLIFTON  For most of his life, Rich Sokerka has been on a newspaper deadline every week. That changes next week. For the first time in a long time, Sokerka will not be dreaming of printing presses in his sleep. After 32 years with the Diocese, he is retiring as editor and general manager of The Beacon. He also steps down as Communications Director for the Diocese of Paterson.

“Newspapers have been my life for 50 years. It’s in my blood,” Sokerka said. “I’m looking forward to the peace and quiet that comes without having a weekly deadline. I look forward to being able to do things on deadline day that I couldn’t do before, like playing with my six grandchildren.”

Sokerka and his wife, Linda Lee, who live in Morris County, will spend more time with their six grandchildren and plan to visit Omaha for longer stays, where their two daughters and four of their grandchildren (two boys and two girls) live. Their son lives in Morris County where their two grandsons live close by to them. They also plan to travel more without the constraints that “a weekly deadline” imposes.

Sokerka said he loved being editor of The Beacon “because my work was about my Catholic faith.” Looking back, he said he is proud of the hard-working staff that never missed a deadline together.

“The Beacon staff has been tremendous, always rising to the challenge of getting the paper out, but making sure it was a quality product. Because of their hard work and dedication, The Beacon has always been recognized beyond the Diocese for the quality and consistency of the product,” Sokerka said. During his tenure, The Beacon won numerous awards from the Catholic Press Association for its articles, editorials, columns, photos, layout, graphics, design, and best front page, which, he said, “attested to the staff’s excellence and deep faith in telling the story of the Church of Paterson.”

There are certainly moments that stand out over 32 years, Sokerka said. Like the time when St. Pope John Paul II visited New Jersey. Mass with the Holy Father at Giants Stadium in the pouring rain was an unforgettable experience, he said. “It was such an awesome night to be in his presence that the rain didn’t matter,” Sokerka said. “Everyone was soaked to the bone, but because it was such a very special moment in the faith life of everyone who was in the stadium that evening — the torrential rain was akin to a spiritual baptism for all of us.”

He also thanked The Beacon’s loyal readers. “Our faithful subscribers contributed to our success over the years by allowing us into their homes and telling the story of their faith lives every week. Many are the times that readers contacted us to tell us how much The Beacon meant to them or to comment on a certain story, editorial, column or photo.”

An important part of his job was working closely with the Chancery. “I feel truly blessed to have been able to work for more than three decades with so many wonderful lay people, religious, and priests at the Chancery dedicated, as is The Beacon, to the mission of evangelization and to spreading the Gospel message in Passaic, Morris and Sussex counties,” he said. “I will miss my colleagues there.”

Sokerka grew up in Passaic and Clifton and was graduated from the former St. Mary School and the former Pope Pius XII High School, both in Passaic. He then went on to attend the University of Notre Dame, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts in 1971. He is a big fan of his beloved Fighting Irish football team. Those who know him are well aware of his lifelong devotion to his alma mater, which his father, Andrew, also a Notre Dame alumnus, instilled in him from the time he was a toddler. It’s no wonder his favorite song is The Notre Dame Victory March and his favorite movies are Knute Rockne, All-American and Rudy.

He began his career in journalism shortly after graduation as the sports editor of Wayne Today, a bi-weekly newspaper. Over the years, he worked his way up the ranks to executive editor of a chain of weekly newspapers in Passaic, Morris and Bergen counties, but his sights were always set on The Beacon.

“As a teenager, I remember getting The Beacon in our home every Thursday and liking the faith-filled stories that I read and aspiring to work someday for The Beacon, which did happen eventually in 1990,” he explained.

When his wife worked as a typesetter for The Beacon (1975–78), Sokerka became friends with Victor Winkler, then The Beacon’s managing editor. “I had mentioned to Vic that if there were ever an opening at The Beacon, I’d be interested,” he said, and in 1990, Bishop Rodimer named him managing editor. He later was named general manager

In 1999, Sokerka was named The Beacon’s editor/general manager by Bishop Rodimer after Winkler retired. At this time, he also became executive secretary of diocesan Communications.

“Bishop Rodimer gave me the opportunity to be at The Beacon. I had to be interviewed by him before the final decision was made to hire me. I am forever grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to help the Church spread the Gospel message in our Diocese through the written word. I believe it was part of God’s plan for me that I came to The Beacon, just as I believe it’s also part of his plan that it’s time for me to retire and hand over the reins,” he said.

In 2008, Sokerka was named Director of Communi­cations for the Diocese of Paterson by Bishop Arthur Serratelli while continuing to serve as editor/general manager of The Beacon. Sokerka, who in 2006 was honored with the Catholic Charities Caritas award for Advocacy for his editorial writing, will retire while serving his third bishop, Bishop Kevin Sweeney, who became leader of the Diocese two years ago.

“Bishop Serratelli was great to work with,” he said. “I worked with him from the time he was appointed our bishop until his retirement. He was awesome, and Bishop Sweeney has been very open to anything we needed here and to new ideas, and just a great shepherd for our Diocese.”

Bishop Sweeney said his first memories of getting to know Sokerka were during the pandemic lockdown in April 2020 in preparation for the announcement that he would be named the next bishop of Paterson.

“From that moment up until the present, I have grown in appreciation and gratitude for Rich’s professionalism, experience, love for the Church, especially the Diocese of Paterson, and, most of all, his testimony of living a life of faith,” Bishop Sweeney said. “Rich is a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather, and he is a great example of living our Baptismal call to holiness in his personal and professional life. I wish Rich and his family the very best as he retires. I am also grateful that Rich has said that he will be available as a resource to the Diocese, to me, and our new Communications director and Beacon editor Jai Agnish.”