Palpable Participation in Papal Proceedings

Catholics in Diocese to mark pope’s visit
with variety of events

PAPAL FLAGS  Daniela and Jessica Murphy help sell papal flags after 10 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph Church, Lincoln Park, on Sunday, Sept. 13, in preparation for Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the United States. The parish netted $700 in goodwill donations for the flags, which will be used to assist local people in need.

CLIFTON  While the majority of Catholics in the Paterson Diocese will not get the opportunity to see Pope Francis “up close and personal” at any of the events during his historic visit Sept. 22-27, it has not stopped excitement and anticipation from intensifying among the faithful in the Diocese. Regardless, many Catholics here have been busy preparing spiritually in their own parishes or planning to participate in activities “close to home” during the Holy Father’s first trip to the U.S.

Among the many events taking place around the diocese will be “Fellowship with Francis,” a gathering at Good Shepherd Parish, Andover, on Friday, Sept. 25 at 5:30 p.m. to watch the pontiff celebrate Mass from Madison Square Garden in New York City. Participants will share food and have the opportunity for discussion after Mass, which will be shown on a projection screen in the parish hall, said Nick Berg, Good Shepherd’s evangelization coordinator and head of the parish’s communications team.

“This [gathering] is a way to get people more involved in parish life, both socially and spiritually. We are bringing people together to share this experience — seeing the Pope, which is a big deal. We have a special bond with the Pope, because he’s the closest to Christ that we will get to here on Earth. He also relates well to the common people — parents, grandparents and children,” said Berg, who noted that the gathering marks the first collaboration between Good Shepherd’s hospitality ministry and newly established communications team.

“Fellowship with Francis” participants are asked to bring an appetizer, snack or dessert. There is no cost for the event, but “in the spirit of service inspired by Pope Francis,” they are asked to bring a donation for Good Shepherd’s food pantry, “to better serve those in need around our community,” the parish’s bulletin stated.

On Sunday, Sept. 20, St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Diocesan Center for Evangelization Center at Bayley-Ellard, Madison, will host “Catholic Families Fully Alive” with Bishop Serratelli from 4 to 6 p.m. The Diocesan Office of Evangelization, which is coordinating the event, seeks to uplift and encourage families of the diocese with the beauty, joy and importance of healthy families and the significance the family has in society.

The event is geared for families who cannot attend the weeklong World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia during his visit. Bishop Serratelli will engage families with a brief teaching and then allow time for a question and answer session. The event will also include many family-friendly activities such as music, carnival snacks, a fun and simple family activity and a special family blessing. The event will be recorded and aired on Relevant Radio with John Harper of Morning Air on Relevant Radio acting as emcee.

“We are so exited,” said Eniola Honsberger, diocesan director of Family Life at St. Paul’s. “For people, who can’t attend the World Meeting of Families, this event will give them a glimpse of the big picture. Also, Bishop Serratelli loves families and loves teaching about them,” she said.

Relevant to Pope Francis’ visit will be a talk by Father Paul Manning, St. Paul’s executive director and diocesan vicar for evangelization, at “The Family: the Call to Authentic Love and Joy: a Day of Prayer and Inspiration with Reflection on the Upcoming Canonization of Louis and Zelle Martin, Parents of St. Therese of Lisieux.” The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 9 a.m. in Lewis Hall at Immaculate Conception Seminary on the campus of Seton Hall University, South Orange. Other speakers will be Father Fredrick L. Miller, spiritual director of St. Andrew’s Seminary there, and Marcia Reina, parishioner of St. Theresa of Avila Parish, Summit.

The reflection ties into the pope’s visit, because of his upcoming appearance at the World Meeting of Families and because of the opportunity in Philadelphia for faithful to venerate a reliquary that contains relics of St. Therese of Lisieux and of her parents at the Cathedral Basilica of Ss. Peter and Paul, from Sept. 21 to 24. Pope Francis will canonize Louis and Zelle Martin on Sunday, Oct. 18 at the Vatican — the first married couple to be canonized together.

At the Diocesan Center in Clifton on Thursday, Sept. 24, diocesan employees will be able to watch the Pope’s address to a joint session on Congress on a large screen TV and Father Edward Lambro, development director for diocesan Catholic Charities, will facilitate a discussion afterward.

Across the diocese, parishes have been printing various types of material related to visit, including The Prayer for Pope Francis by St. Paul Parish, Clifton; information about the World Meeting of Families by St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Mountain Lakes; the pope’s itinerary by St. Jude Parish, Hopatcong; and suggestions on strengthening family life by many pastors.

To prepare for the visit, St. Joseph Parish, Lincoln Park, distributed small handheld papal flags at the weekend Masses Sept. 12-13. The parish asked for a good will offering for the donated flags “that will be used for those in need in our local area: in keeping with Our Holy Father’s concern for the poor.” Parishioners are urged to display the flags outside their homes “to show support during his visit,” said Franciscan Sister of Peace Ellen Byrnes, St. Joseph’s pastoral associate and director of religious education. “The flags are a nice way to participate in Pope Francis’ visit,” she said.

Also, a larger papal flag — donated by Deacon Stephen Marabeti — hangs at the main church entrance in honor of the visit. At the Lincoln Park town-wide celebration on Saturday, Sept. 26, parishioners of St. Joseph’s will staff a booth that will feature a life-size cardboard cutout of Pope Francis. Visitors will be invited to take “selfie” photograph with the pontiff, Sister Ellen said.

“Pope Francis radiates an aura — an energy. He makes me proud to be Catholic. He lives the Gospel and challenges me to be the best person I can be,” said Sister Ellen, who plans to attend a vespers service for religious with the pontiff on Sept. 24 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City.