Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Mount Arlington Sept. 2 where he celebrated the vigil Mass for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The Diocese will once again host its diocesan Marian Pilgrimage to the nation’s capital Oct. 21. Bishop Serratelli invites the faithful throughout the diocese to join him for a day dedicated to the Blessed Mother, the patron of the Americas, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception here in the nation’s capital.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. James of the Marches Parish in Totowa Sept. 9 where he celebrated the vigil Mass for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. During the Mass, the Bishop blessed the new pulpit donated by Lily Handal and family. It was given in honor of her husband, Shafiq D. Handal, and her grandson, George Michael Kotsis.

It seems natural that St. Jude Parish in Budd Lake — which prides itself on its spirit of welcome and friendliness — celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sept. 9 as a community out of doors with a picnic — complete with food, games and activities for children and adults, live music and plenty of fellowship. It also seems just as natural that this Morris County parish bookended its golden anniversary celebrations with two Masses — gatherings around the Eucharistic table before and after, as a family to receive spiritual nourishment.

Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Paterson will honor five people at its annual Caritas Gala to be held Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany. At the gala, Father Patrick O’Donovan will receive the Bishop’s Award; Msgr. Herbert Tillyer will receive the Straight & Narrow Award; Donna Fico will receive the Catholic Family & Community Services Award; and Diane and Kevin Cavanagh, will receive the Department for Persons with Disabilities Award.

In today’s world, many ask, “Where is God?” especially with the natural disasters and political chaos making headlines but Bishop Serratelli reminded all that they need not ask but only to look to the 173 individuals, couples and families honored at this year’s Vivere Christus Est awards ceremony, of whom he said are “manifestations of God’s compassion and love.”

Bishop Serratelli delighted in leading the momentous milestone of the 80th anniversary of the Paterson Diocese — established on Dec. 9, 1937 by Pope Pius XI — during a dinner celebration at the newly-opened Legacy Castle in Pequannock Sept. 8. In his remarks, the Bishop reminded the audience of clergy, religious and laity from around the Diocese and beyond about the ultimate reason for the local Church’s celebration: because “Jesus came to free us from sin and to transform our lives through God’s grace.”

When Pope Francis made history on Sept. 24, 2015 by being the first pope ever to address a joint meeting of Congress, he invoked four iconic U.S. citizens as relevant models of virtue for Americans today: Abraham Lincoln, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Clifton Aug. 26. Marking the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, he celebrated the Saturday evening vigil Mass there.

Since 2014, parishioners from Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Church here have been traveling to Guatemala building homes for some of the poorest families in the country through From Houses to Homes (FHTH), a grassroots organization who believe in strengthening family unity and community harmony in the highlands of Guatemala.

On Sept. 11, the nation will pause to reflect, to pray and to remember the nearly 3,000 innocent lives lost in the terrorists’ attacks in 2001. Sixteen years later, still indelibly etched in our minds are the times the planes struck the World Trade Center towers: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m.: the time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes, and the time they took to fall: 12 seconds, bringing a nation to its knees in prayer.

During the weekend of Sept. 9-10, the 2017 Bishop’s Annual Appeal (BAA) will kick-off at weekend Masses in parishes across the Diocese giving the faithful once again the opportunity to support the good works of the Church of Paterson. Led by the theme from the Prayer of St. Francis, “In Giving, We Receive,” the Appeal invites parishioners to help fund ministries that serve the poor, sick, and needy; inner-city area elementary school students; diocesan seminarians and retired priests. Last year the 2016 Bishop’s Annual Appeal raised a record $4.4 million in pledges and it was one of the most successful years for receiving new donor participation.

Bishop Serratelli presided in the chapel of the Franciscan Sisters’ St. Francis Novitiate in Parsippany Aug. 26 at the profession of final vows of two Franciscan Sisters of St. Elizabeth — Sister Gaudensiana Dhey of Our Lady of Lourdes, who entered the order on July 26, 2006, and Sister Mariana Sola of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, who entered the order on Aug. 9, 2007.