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T odo sacrificio es un acto de amor. Nos sacrificamos por quien queremos. Los sacrificios son parte de nuestra identidad cristiana. El ser humano desde sus orígenes ofrecía sacrificios como un signo de agradecimiento, reparación, pedir protección, etc. Todos los sacrificios del Antiguo Testamento prefiguran y tienen cumplimiento en el sacrificio perfecto, Jesús, Quién por amor a nosotros se ofreció como sacrificio al Padre.

T he story of sin is the backdrop for the tremendous gift that Christ has given us in the Eucharist. A deeper understanding of our own sinfulness is necessary to grasp how greatly we are in need of the Source of all life. Through original sin we inherited a darkened mind, a weakened will, and a vacillating heart. Without the grace of God given to us in Baptism strengthened by Confirmation and nourished by the Holy Eucharist, this selfishness dominates us. God responded to evil and sin by Love. Christ, by his death on the cross, proved that Love. To perpetuate that loving forgiveness, Christ has given us the means to atone for our sins. He unites us to himself in the reception of Holy Com­munion so we can offer true worship to the Father.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made a pastoral visit to St. Mary Church in Denville April 24 and celebrated Mass for Divine Mercy Sunday on the Second Sunday of Easter. During his visit, the Bishop administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to young people of the parish.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney made a pastoral visit to St. Joseph Parish in Paterson where he celebrated Mass April 24 for Divine Mercy Sunday, which is marked on the Second Sunday of Easter. During the Mass, the Bishop also administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to young people of the parish.

Would you take a short, cold shower every day for three months? A few of the Catholic men in a local men’s fraternity, the Men of St. Joseph, tried this unusual spiritual practice for 90 days to prepare for Easter — one piece of Exodus 90, a three-part program that helped them become what God calls them to be. It is based on three “pillars” — prayer — spending more time talking to and listening to God; asceticism — enacting lifestyle changes to help them better focus on faith and family; and fraternity — building a group of faithful men who support each other in their walk with Christ, according to Exodus 90’s website, www.exodus90.com.

Less than two years ago on New Year’s Eve, 13-year-old Peyton Triano made a resolution to give back and help others most in need and since that time she has been supporting the Father English Food Pantry, part of Catholic Family and Community Services, an agency of diocesan Catholic Charities. Through her self-built non-profit organization, Compassionate Kids N.J., Triano has delivered kid-friendly groceries to the food pantry every month since making that resolution through fundraisers and the sale of baked goods, which she makes herself.

The importance of how the Eucharist effects their lives was clearly evident in witness talks given by parishioners of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Stirling as part of the parish’s Family Faith Formation (FFF) program earlier this month. In his witness talk, Shawn Gallic told 110 families at recent sessions of the faith community’s FFF program, about the power of the Eu­charist in his own life in his three minute talk.

The Discalced Car­mel­ite Sisters at the Monastery of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel in Morristown live far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world. Here fingertips are used to pray the rosary rather than send a text message. Behind its closed walls, the sisters, a contemplative religious order, spend their days praying for all in the Church and in the world.

The pro-life movement lost one of its most cherished members April 20 when Vicki Thorn, founder of Project Rachel, died suddenly. A Catholic pro-life pioneer, international speaker, author, and a member of the Pontifical Academy of Life, she was 72.

When a child is presented for Baptism, parents are asked, “What name do you give your child?” After giving the name, they are asked, “What do you ask of God’s Church (for your child)?” They reply, “Baptism.”

A inicios de este año, en la Fiesta del bautismo del Señor, el Obispo Kevin J. Sweeney inauguró un Año de la eucaristía en la Diócesis de Paterson. El propósito de este año especial es promover la devoción, la catequesis y la apreciación por este gran don de la Eucaristía en la iglesia para el mundo. En noviembre de 2021, la Conferencia episcopal de Estados Unidos (USCCB por sus siglas en inglés) aprobó el documento El misterio de la eucaristía en la vida de la iglesia, el cual desarrolló el Comité de la doctrina de la Con­ferencia. La publicación de este documento providencialmente coincidió con la apertura del Año de la eucaristía.

Earlier this year, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney inaugurated a Year of the Eucharist in the Diocese of Paterson. The purpose of this year is to foster devotion, catechesis, and appreciation for the great gift of the Eucharist in the Church for the world. In November 2021, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) approved the document The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church, which was developed by the Com­mittee on Doctrine of the USCCB. The publication of this document providentially coincided with the diocese’s inauguration of the Year of the Eucharist.

Bishop Kevin Sweeney served as main celebrant for the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses on Easter April 17 in St. Brendan/St. George Church in Clifton. Easter, the chief feast of the Church’s ecclesiastical year, commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided at the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Good Friday, April 15, in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. The solemn service began with the Liturgy of the Word including the account of the Passion and Death of Jesus.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided at the Easter Vigil Mass in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson on the evening of Holy Saturday, April 16. This is the night that “shall be as bright as day” as proclaimed by the Exsultet, an ancient church hymn, as the Church joyfully anticipates Christ’s Resurrection.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening, April 14 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. The Mass commemorates the institution of the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Holy Orders by Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper, the Bishop washed the feet of the faithful to symbolize the service and charity of Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve.”

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was main celebrant and homilist, with priests of the Diocese including Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli as concelebrants, at the Diocese’s annual Mass of Chrism April 11 in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson.

Most Catholics lack even a basic understanding of the Eucharist, a recent poll revealed. With that in mind, Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli gives a teaching on the Eucharist in his latest book that uses an older approach inspired by the Baltimore Cate­chism: presenting a series of questions — along with the answers — about the “source and summit of our faith.”

On April 17, 103 people in churches throughout the Paterson Diocese became children of God at the Easter Vigil. They were initiated into full membership in the Catholic Church. During the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday, the elect received the three Sacra­ments of Initiation — Baptism, Confirma­tion, and Eucharist.

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the parishioners of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, once again brought to life Jesus’ final hours with their presentation of the Way of the Cross on April 15, Good Friday. The annual tradition in the city included a procession through the streets of Paterson, which concluded inside the Cathedral.