Two years ago, as terminally ill 29-year-old Brittany Maynard made national news by publicly advocating for her right to end her life under Oregon’s Death with Dignity law, Sarah Steele sat in her Camden County home, quietly anguishing over her right to live. “I felt like it really minimized what I had fought for and conquered in my own life,” said Steele, 44, who 10 years ago was told she only had months to live.

Parishioners at St. Paul’s in Clifton 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.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Paterson Oct. 2 where he celebrated Mass to mark the feast day of the parish’s patron, which is Sept. 29.

The shootings of police officers across the nation in recent months inspired the faithful of three parishes in Long Valley — Our Lady of the Mountain (OLM), St. Mark’s and St. Luke’s — to respond with overwhelming generosity to “Thank a Cop,” a local drive that collected “thank you” cards and gift cards to show their heartfelt appreciation to the local “men and women in blue” for the risks they take to keep the public safe.

The Paterson Diocese’s priest convocation was held Sept. 26-29 at the Breakers in Spring Lake. Presenters were Father Joseph Mele, director of the Secretariat of Leader­ship and director of the department for post-ordination for­mation in the Diocese of Pitts­burgh, and Michel Therrien, director of the Secretariat for Evan­gelization and Catholic Education in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

The 40 Days for Life campaign, a peaceful, prayerful vigil at Planned Parenthood in Morristown, opened with a statewide kick-off rally Sept. 29. Missionary Sister of the Immaculate Conception Jane Albein offered the opening prayer. Steve Karlen, the North American campaign coordinator, addressed the 65 people in attendance with stories about the many advancements that have been made in the pro-life advocacy in the five

Our Lady of the Holy Angels Parish in Little Falls welcomed Bishop Serratelli Sept. 25. During the Bishop’s pastoral visit, he celebrated Mass for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Father Mark Condon, pastor, and Father Giovanni Rodriguez, parochial vicar, were concelebrants of the Mass.

Two seminarians of the Diocese of Paterson — Andrew Thomas Burns and Cesar Dario Jaramillo-Palacio — were among 30 seminarians, all studying for the priesthood at the Pontifical North American College, who were were ordained to the transitional diaconate during a celebration of the Eucharist Sept. 29 in Rome.

Lawyers from across the Diocese came to the auditorium at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison Oct. 2 to take part in the Diocese’s Inaugural Red Mass with Bishop Serratelli as the main celebrant. The Red Mass is a traditional Mass held every year in Catholic dioceses throughout the world for government officials, lawyers and judges for their continuous pursuit of justice in the world and their daily lives.

The city of Passaic has always been a home for immigrants seeking the American dream. And in the neighborhood surrounding St. Mary of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Passaic, although the places where many of these immigrants have come from may have changed, the heart of the parish community has remained the same over the last 125 years.

In an audience with members of the board of trustees of the University of Notre Dame in Rome last year, Pope Francis told them that Catholic universities must give “uncompromising” and “unambiguous” witness to Church teaching and defend themselves from all efforts to dilute their Catholic identity.