PATERSON Bishop Serratelli honored 106 individuals, couples and families at this year’s diocesan Vivere Christus Est awards ceremony. The honorees were called “manifestations of God’s compassion and love to their communities and the world.”
At the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here on Sept. 9, which was fillaed to capacity with family, friends, priests and well-wishers, the Bishop presented each one of the 106 honorees with this special award that acknowledges on a diocesan level the value and importance of the laity and to express gratitude and appreciation of those who unselfishly give themselves for the building of God’s kingdom. The Vivere Christus Est Medal, a name taken from the Latin phrase, “To live is Christ,” found in St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (1:21) was given to each one of the awardees personally by the Bishop.
In his opening remarks, Bishop Serratelli said, “Coming from all three counties of our Diocese, we gather in our Mother Church today as the Church of Paterson. We come to thank almighty God for the many gifts that he has poured out on us through the faithful of our Diocese — to all of you, who work so hard to build up the kingdom of God. Our hearts are filled with joy and we come to thank God for blessing us in so many ways through your lives.”
As tradition with past Vivere Christus Est ceremonies, the Gospel reading during the service was from Matthew, which proclaims that Catholics should be “the salt of the earth” and “light of the world.”
During the ceremony, two diocesan priests who were ordained last May were given the opportunity to speak at the ceremony. Father Mateusz Darlack, parochial vicar of St. Cecilia Parish in Rockaway, and Father Yohan Serrano, parochial vicar of St. Lawrence the Martyr in Chester, gave the homilies in English and Spanish respectively.
In his homily, Father Darlack recalled the First Reading of the Mass from the Acts of the Apostles, in which Jesus sends his disciples, who were witnesses to his miracles, deeds and teachings, to all the ends of the world.
Father Darlack said, “May the example of those we honor today be an example to all of us. May our Christian identity be the true witness and true light which is entrusted to us by God. May the world see that we are proud to be called Catholic.”
Following the homilies, the Bishop blessed the awards. Then, Sister of Christian Charity Joan Daniel Healey, diocesan chancellor/delegate for religious, called all the names of the recipients and the nominating parish or organization to come forward to receive their Vivere Christus Est Medals from Bishop Serratelli.
Honorees received the 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 in English and Spanish.
At the end of the service, the Bishop thanked the priests and pastors who collaborate together to do good in the world. To the recipients, he said, “You are the Church. The Church is the people of God, the Church is all of us, who believe in him and gather around the altar every Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist. When Church grows and grows and grows, it’s because of you, your faith and your service.”
After the ceremony, the Vivere Christus Est recipients gathered together for a light reception at the Bishop Rodimer Center next to the cathedral. There, the recipients were able to take a photo with the Bishop.
Throughout the Diocese, honorees were noted in their individual parishes’ bulletins detailing the service they do to make a difference.
At Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Church in Cedar Knolls, Lorelei and Mike Kelly were the 2018 recipients. Parishioners since 2004, they have been actively involved at Notre Dame. “Lorelei has served in the Women’s Cornerstone program, social events, Lazarus Ministry, the kitchen team and as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Mike has consistently been behind the scenes for almost every parish event, never seeking the limelight and always willing to take care of what is needed. Outside of parish ministry, the Kellys are devoted parents and grandparents, shepherding, supporting, caring for and providing faith models for their family,” according to the bulletin.
Also honored was Dave Gallagher of St. Mary Parish in Dover, who is a catechist, an usher and member of the Outreach Ministry. He is also an active member of the Knights of Columbus and participates in the Operation Appalachia ministry. He also helped with church renovations. The parish bulletin noted, “Dave is a tireless volunteer in the community. He is always willing to lend a hand with projects such as building a ramp for a handicapped person, replacing windows and fixing plumbing along with many other handyman chores for those who cannot do them on their own, especially our elderly.”
Another individual honored was Vincenza Minerva of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, who at 89 years old, has consistently attended Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament since the parish’s Perpetual Adoration Ministry began in 2001. Until 2015, she walked to chapel every morning form her home at 3 a.m. with her rosary in her hand, praying to St. Padre Pio to protect her. Then she would attend the 6:45 a.m. Mass in the daily chapel, where she has spent thousands of hours praying to Jesus for her family, the world, the Catholic Church and her fellow parishioners.