Welcoming Apostolic Nuncio

VISIT FROM APOSTOLIC NUNCIO  Archbishop Bernardito Auza, who holds the diplomatic rank of Apostolic Nuncio and is permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, visited St. Paul Church in Clifton Oct. 1 to celebrate a feast day Mass honoring St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint. Pictured from left are Deacon Hector Casillas, Archbishop Auza, Deacon Joseph Puskas, Father Leonardo Jaramillo and Father Vidal Gonzales.

CLIFTON  Parishioners at St. Paul’s here welcomed Arch­bishop Bernardito Cleofas Auza, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Oct. 1 where he celebrated the vigil Mass for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. During the Mass, the church community honored St. Lorenzo Ruiz of Manila, a martyr who is the first Filipino saint. Archbishop Auza, who holds the diplomatic rank of Apostolic Nuncio, is a Filipino archbishop. The Mass was concelebrated by Father Leonardo Jaramillo, pastor of St. Paul’s, and Father Vidal Gonzales, pastor of St. Jude Parish in Hopatcong, who was the first Filipino priest to be ordained for service in the Diocese.

During the Mass, Archbishop Auza spoke about St. Lorenzo in his homily. “What a wonderful testimony St. Lorenzo Ruiz is to the faith.” He said. “We have here a disciple that was so faithful to God’s command. He is known for saying, ‘If I have a thousand lives, I will give it to God.’”

Archbishop Auza also talked about the missionaries who came to the Philippines, the largest Catholic Asian country. “Evangelization in the Philippines went so rapidly and so well. There was much grace and much fertile ground to spread the faith in the hearts of Filipinos. We accepted the faith without any problem.”

Before his visit to St. Paul’s, Archbishop Auza told the St. Paul’s community he read the parish’s mission statement and he inspired the people, many of whom are Filipino, to continue living their faith and to have the parish’s mission statement in their hearts.

Father Jaramillo shared a biography on Archbishop Auza with those at the Mass. He was born in Talibon, Republic of the Philippines on June 10, 1959. He was ordained priest for the Diocese of Tagbilaran on June 29 1985; then in 1986 he was incardinated to the newly created Diocese of Talibon. The archbishop holds a doctorate in Theology and entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1990. He has served at the Apostolic Nunciature in Madagascar, in Bulgaria, and then in Albania. He then served in the Secretariat of State in the Vatican and from there was appointed to the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York. He as appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti in 2008 and was ordained Titular Archbishop of Suacia on July 3, 2008. He was appointed Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York on July 1, 2014 and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the Organization of American States on July 16, 2014.