Vivere Christus Award

HONORED FOR THEIR SERVICE TO THE CHURCH  Ethel and Volton Desmond Edwards of St. Anthony Parish in Passaic accept the Vivere Christus Award from Bishop Serratelli May 15 in St. Philip Church in Clifton. They were one of 112 individuals, couples and families honored by the Diocese for their service to the Church.

CLIFTON  For being the visible Body of Christ to others in their parish communities, the Diocese honored 112 individuals, couples and families with the Vivere Christus Est Award in a ceremony held on Pentecost Sunday, May 15, at St. Philip the Apostle Church here. Bishop Serratelli, who instituted the award for the Diocese in 2009, presented the awards to each of the recipients. Also at the ceremony, the Bishop led the annual diocesan May crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Vivere Christus Est Medal, Latin for “To live in Christ” (Phil 1:21), was awarded to a diverse group of recipients for their contributions to the mission of Christ and his Church in a ceremony before many priests, family and friends who filled one of the largest churches in the Diocese to standing room only.

In his opening remarks, Bishop Serratelli said, “What a great way to celebrate the birthday of the Church and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Today, the Church of Paterson gathers to celebrate, to honor and to recognize those gifts of the Spirit given to the faithful of our Diocese. In a very special way, we also honor our Blessed Mother with the May Crowning. What a great gift of providence that May and Pentecost come together. As we celebrate the Holy Spirit, the birth of the Church we honor Mary.”

As in past award ceremonies, the Gospel reading during the service was from Matthew, which proclaims that all be “the salt of the earth” and “light of the world.”

Sister of Christian Charity Joan Daniel Healy, diocesan chancellor/delegate for religious, and Jose Zuniga, a diocesan seminarian, called each recipient by name and the nominating parish or organization. Each came forward and received the Vivere Christus Est Medal from Bishop Serratelli. Honorees received a brass medal, three inches in diameter, embossed with the diocesan crest on the obverse and a portrait of St. John’s Cathedral in Paterson and the words in Latin, “Vivere Christus Est” on the reverse. The medal was enclosed in a cherrywood box, accompanied by a personal scroll of recognition.

During the ceremony, Msgr. Robert Carroll, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Highland Lakes, and Father Leonardo Jaramillo, pastor of St. Paul Parish in Clifton, gave the homilies in English and Spanish respectively.

In his homily, Msgr. Carroll spoke about St. Damien of Molokai, who “made himself a leper and was among the lepers living on a leper colony in Hawaii in order to gain all for Christ. “This is an example for me,” he said, “that he lived his whole life for others wholeheartedly.” Msgr. Carroll referenced the day’s Gospel and said, “Jesus wants you and me to be Christians who enhance the light of our families, who enrich the people with whom we work and also our society, so we may be good examples to others and pass on that light to the world.”

Speaking in Spanish, Father Jaramillo talked about the celebration of Pentecost and the Mary, the Blessed Mother. To the award recipients, Father Jaramillo said, “Thank you for your service to the Church. We could not do the work of the Church without you.”

Following the homilies, the Rite of Crowning took place as the Diocesan Choir sang “Bring Flowers of the Rarest” for the Blessed Mother. Bishop Serratelli led the procession and placed the crown on the statue of the Blessed Mother.

At the end of the service, Bishop Serratelli said, “With gratitude, I thank the recipients of the Vivere Christus awards. It’s recognition by your parish, but also by the Diocese as to how truly important you are to the Church of Paterson. We are so grateful for the service that you generously, unselfishly give in so many ways — unseen by us but certainly seen and appreciated by God himself.”

The Bishop also thanked the priests who attended the awards ceremony. “The number of priests and deacons who have come today is a tribute to the lay people. The ministry of priest and the ministry of lay people are both essential to the vitality of the Church.’

Following the service, a reception was held for the honorees and their guests in St. Philip the Apostle Academy. There, the Bishop, along with families and friends gathered to congratulate those who received for the Vivere Christus Est honor.

Throughout the diocese, honorees were noted in their individual parishes bulletins, detailing the service they do that makes a difference. At St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison, Arlene Kennedy was honored. She has served for many years as the church sacristan making sure the church has all the supplies needed for Mass, vestments and altar cloths are properly cared for, setting up for Masses weddings, funerals and opening the church for the 6:30 a.m. Mass in Lent and locking up the church at night.

St. Philip Parish in Clifton honored longtime Knight of Columbus Ray Lill. Father Joseph Garbarino, pastor, wrote, “Ray has been an active parishioner for 51 years serving faithfully as a member of the parish council, an usher and a diligent worker at parish social and fundraising events. He is a co-founder of the annual Tank Pull for Veterans, co-chairman for Eva’s Village food drive, volunteer at St. Joseph’s Hospital, member of the board of directors for Several Sources Foundation and founder and chairman for the Colin Jones fundraiser.”