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Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made a pastoral visit to Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Highland Lakes July 18 where he celebrated Mass marking the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

On the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 16, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was main celebrant of Mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middletown, N.Y. The shrine is operated by the Carmelite Friars of the St. Elias Province. It is located 20 miles north from the Paterson Diocese in New York state. In welcoming those in attendance, the Bishop said, “What a joy and privilege it is to be at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to celebrate the beautiful feast day of our Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Congregants sang “Ave Maria” at the vigil Mass on July 17 in Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Church in Cedar Knolls, as they delighted taking in a historic sight for the parish that evening: a procession of a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, their patron, around the worship space at the end of the liturgy. Churchgoers snapped photos with their cell phones, prayed, or watched the Our Lady of Mount Carmel statue during the procession — like the many such devotions to her held around the world and in parishes in the Diocese, including those named after her, on or around her July 16 feast day.

The Church in the U.S. is standing with the people of Cuba as they fight for basic human rights and their freedom from communist rule during protests that have erupted on the island nation, which is located just 90 miles south of Florida. On Sunday, July 18, N.J. bishops and priests came together with Cubans living in northern N.J. at St. Joseph of the Palisades Church here in prayer and solidarity to “Save Cuba from Tears and Anxiety.”

The bicentennial of our Cathedral Parish of St. John the Baptist, which was celebrated with such enthusiasm this past June 24, has prompted me to take a look at some of the features of the cathedral. For 35 years, two large statues of the apostles, Peter and Paul, have stood in niches on the sanctuary wall of the cathedral. Carved in wood in the 19th century in the Tyrol section of northern Italy, these two saints were not random choices made at the time of the 1987 renovations under Bishop Frank J. Rodimer, but rather represent three different aspects — historical, liturgical, and ecclesial — of the cathedral’s history and role.

Democrats in the House of Repre­sentatives last week continued their assault on life in the womb by advancing a new spending bill for the Depart­ment of Health and Human Ser­vices without the Hyde Amendment, and other longstanding, bipartisan provisions including the Weldon Amendment. Eliminating these provisions would force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions and force health care providers and professionals to perform and refer for abortion against their deeply held religious beliefs, as well as force employers and insurers to cover and pay for abortion.

Dear Grandfathers and Grandmothers, Dear Elderly Friends, “I am with you always.”
(Mt 28:20)
This is the promise the Lord made to his disciples before he ascended into heaven. They are the words that he repeats to you today, dear grandfathers and grandmothers, dear elderly friends. “I am with you always” are also the words that I, as Bishop of Rome and an elderly person like yourselves, would like to address to you on this first World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. The whole Church is close to you — to us — and cares about you, loves you and does not want to leave you alone!

Seven years ago, Dia Ciccone walked into youth ministry at Our Lady of Consolation (OLC) Parish in Wayne a shy sixth-grader. As a high-schooler, she found herself involved in parish activities — from Antioch retreats for Confirmation prep to holiday events such as Halloween pumpkin carving as well as volunteer work in the community. This recent graduate of Wayne Hills High School even joined peer ministry, which runs the activities, helping her grow in confidence.

Through the artwork of youths served by Diocesan Catholic Charities, the meaning of social justice was on full display reflecting a world in which all people are created equal. These paintings were featured during an art show held at the Father English Center in Paterson, which was made possible through a grant from the U.S. Bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). The young people participating in the art show are part of the Catholic Family and Community Services’ (CFCS) Outreach to At Risk Youth department.

Fifty-four teens and 20 chaperones from St. Joseph Parish in Mendham traveled to Paintsville, Ky., from June 20 to 26, as part of the parish’s 13th annual Teen Appalachia Mission Trip. The team worked in conjunction with Good Neighbors, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that serves the working poor in Johnson County, Kentucky.

Imagine leaving all the comforts of home behind to travel to a foreign land and help the world’s poor and vulnerable. For many, it would be a tough challenge, but for Bridget Bucardo Rivera, a parishioner of St. Mary’s in Pompton Lakes, it was a dream come true to be making a difference in the world working with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the U.S. Catholic Church’s official international humanitarian aid agency.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney ordained seven diocesan seminarians to the transitional diaconate on July 10, during a Mass in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson — their final step before being called to be ordained as priests of the Diocese in 2022. He urged the Church of Paterson’s newest deacons, “Never allow yourself to be turned away from the hope offered by the Gospel.”

As the grandfather of six — Grace Elizabeth, Mitchell Allan, Jacob Andrew, Ryan William, Julia Rose and Luke Andrew — I am looking forward to the Catholic Church’s first celebration of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on Sunday, July 25, the closest Sunday to the feast day (July 26) of Ss. Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.

When I concluded my previous column with the words, “As I complete my first year as Bishop, I am very grateful and I am looking forward with hope to the year and years ahead!” it had not occurred to me that, less than two weeks later, our Diocese would receive seven new transitional deacons and what a sign of hope these men are for our Church.

Recently 81 young people at the Shrine of St. Pope John Paul II/Holy Rosary Parish in Passaic received the Sacrament of Confirmation. On June 12, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney administered the Sacrament and on June 13, Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli administered the Sacrament.

Liturgical ministers of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Flanders — from lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to ushers and music ministers — recently learned not “how” to perform their various important tasks while serving at Mass but more importantly “why” they do them.

St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison took advantage of the increased time for prayer and reflection that the COVID-19 lockdown afforded to dream up ways to refine — and even innovate and revitalize — the ways it evangelizes the Gospel as New Jersey emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. Emboldened and enlivened, St. Vincent’s expects to unveil in September a comprehensive plan that will offer specific ways that the parish will move forward in worship, formation, and outreach in the post-COVID-19 era.

The Sisters of Sorrow­ful Mother announced June 29 that the order would close St. Francis Resi­dential Community in Denville, a non­profit senior indepen­dent living rental community. The official closure will likely take place in 2022 with no firm date set as the sisters want to ensure that every senior currently living at the facility has a new home.

There were many moments when a team of missionaries from New Jersey who were at the Texas-Mexico border saw the face of Christ. For Evelyn Lopez and Philline Luz, both in their 20s, it was seen on the faces of the children, who in spite of facing such a perilous trek through Central America and Mexico across the U.S. border, managed to smile and be joyful.

Last month at their spring meeting, the U.S. bishops voted decisively to approve the drafting of a teaching document on the Eucharist that in a proposed outline includes a subsection on Eucharistic consistency. The bishops’ doctrine committee, said it would include a “special call for those Catholics who are cultural, political, or parochial leaders to witness to the faith” and uphold Church teaching in public life.