The St. Peter the Apostle Parish community is assisting the people of Ukraine, who continue to suffer terribly as a result of the ongoing war initiated by Russia. From Jan. 28 through Feb. 5, the parishioners of St. Peter joined with the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey in collecting much-needed items for the Ukrainian people.

Right from the start, upon his election, Pope Francis presented a whole new style of being pontiff. The way he spoke to the vast crowd after his election on March 13, 2013, was familial and down-to-earth, beginning with, “Brothers and sisters, good evening,” and ending with “We’ll see each other soon!” and “Have a good night and sleep well!”

For a decade, even when discussing the internal workings of the Vatican, Pope Francis has insisted the church is not the church of Christ if it does not reach out, sharing the “joy of the Gospel” and placing the poor at the center of its attention. Signals that his papacy would be different started the moment he stepped out on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basili­ca the evening of March 13, 2013: He was not wearing a red, ermine-trim­med cape, and he bowed as he asked the crowd to pray that God would bless him.

I remember my mom’s exuberance when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected bishop of Rome. Here was the first pope of the Americas and the first from the Jesuit order. Certainly, change was afoot. But not only that. The new pope took the name “Francis!”

Today we celebrate and give thanks for the preaching of the Gospel as we celebrate the great “Apostle to the Irish,” St. Patrick. So many of us here today give thanks for the way in which that Good News of the Gospel has been passed down through generations of the Irish people. We also recognize the ways in which the Irish people and missionaries have shared the Good News in many places throughout the world, all the way to Morristown, here in our beloved Diocese of Paterson, as well as in our great State of New Jersey and throughout these United States.

Catechists need to infuse their classrooms with their own personal touch — and the love of God — to succeed in their mission as religious educators: to lead young people to a genuine encounter with Jesus. They should share the joy of their faith with students, demonstrate genuine interest and love and engage them in creative lessons and activities “so they want to be there.” This was on Salesian Sister Elfie Del Rosario’s messages to local parish catechetical leaders and catechists on March 4 at the Diocesan Catechetical Conference at Saint Elizabeth University in Convent Station, a part of Morristown.

The faith community of St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Hardyston on Feb. 24 welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who celebrated 11 a.m. Mass. He also administered the sacrament of confirmation to seven tenth-grade students. Concelebrating the liturgy was Father Michael Rodak, St. Jude’s pastor. “In the eyes of the Church, they are adults, and our fellow disciples to spread the news about Christ,” stated the parish bulletin announcing the confirmation.

Marking the feast of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney celebrated Mass at Ss. Cyril & Methodius Church in Clifton Feb. 14. The history of the parish dates back to 1913 when Slovak Catholics in Clifton and Garfield organized a parish under Ss. Cyril & Methodius and purchased property on Ackerman Avenue in Clifton.

An RCIA retreat was held at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison on Feb. 26. The retreat was an opportunity offered by the Office of Evangelization to English- and Spanish-speaking catechumens and candidates in preparation for the upcoming steps they will take on the journey begun in their local communities, said Father Yojaneider García, director of the Cate­chetical Office and Faith Formation for the Diocese of Paterson.

Stephen Ministry was introduced to St. Anthony of Padua Parish of Butler parishioners at a Ministry Fair on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. Sue Krista is the parish’s Stephen Ministry Coordinator and a trained Leader. “We had a number of people that stopped by and asked questions,” Krista recalled. “Nine people gave me their information, so I think that was a win.”

En un gran clásico de la literatura, El Principito, el autor Antoine de Saint-Exupéry escribió: «Lo que hace al desierto tan bello…es que esconde un pozo en algún lugar.» Para nosotros como católicos, estas cinco semanas de la Cuaresma constituyen un desierto mediante el cual llegaremos a la fuente de agua viva: Cristo. En la Sagrada Escritura el desierto siempre se destaca por ser un lugar de transformación y revelación a lo largo de la historia salvífica del género humano.

During this year’s Rite of Election on Feb. 26, 156 catechumens from 50 faith communities in the diocese moved a step closer to receiving the sacraments of initiation — baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist — in their respective parishes during the upcoming Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, April 8. On the first Sunday of Easter, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided over the Rite of Election at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, where he formally selected — or elected — the catechumens.

This past Saturday, March 4, I was blessed to celebrate Mass at our Diocesan Catechetical Conference. You can see and learn more about the Conference from the pictures and article in this week’s Beacon on page 4 and on our social media. In the years before 2020, the annual Catechetical Conference was always well attended. We had a “virtual conference” in 2021 and a “hybrid” conference in 2022, with limited attendance in person and a larger attendance virtually. Therefore, this was my first time, as bishop, to be able to celebrate Mass at the Conference. I would have been happy to celebrate Mass for our catechists and catechetical leaders at any location, but this year I had the privilege of presiding at Mass on the grounds of St. Elizabeth University, Convent Station. Our Diocese received the additional blessing of being hosted by the University staff and the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth.

Before every game, with about 7 minutes left during warm-ups, the Morris Catho­lic girls basketball team goes over their game plan with the coach on the sidelines, and they all pray the “Our Father” together. It was the same on Sunday before the Crusaders took to the court and won their first state championship since 2006. In the final minute of the fourth quarter, Morris Catholic pulled ahead to beat Rutgers Prep, 71–63, for the NJSIAA Non-Public B Girls Championship final in Toms River.

For Lent this year, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney has granted a dispensation from the obligation of abstinence from meat for March 17, 2023, to those residing in or visiting the Diocese of Paterson.

On Feb. 22, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney presided over two Masses on Ash Wednesday at Our Lady Queen of Peace (OLQP) Parish in Branchville. He celebrated a Mass in English at 6 p.m. Father Philip-Michael Tangorra, pastor, concelebrated with Deacon Vincent Ricciardi assisting. Then the bishop presided over a Mass in Spanish at 7:30 p.m. Concelebrating the Mass were Father Tangorra and Father Johan Serrano.

An emotional Father Przemyslaw Gawlik basked in the love of his new faith community of St. Thomas of Aquin in Ogdensburg as Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney installed him as its pastor during a special Mass on Feb. 25. It didn’t take long for St. Thomas’ parishioners to embrace Father Gawlik as their spiritual father when he arrived in June 2022 to become administrator of the small country parish with a big heart.

Bishop Sweeney celebrated Mass in the chapel of St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, the first day of Lent. Concelebrating was Father Alexander Wilder Londono, a chaplain at St. Joseph’s. Assisting was Deacon Lawrence J. Duffy.

At World Youth Day (WYD) 2002 in Toronto, Malbri Reyes earned the nickname “the ambassador.” Then a youth leader at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, Reyes enjoyed talking with a veritable sea of young people from around the world at WYD, recalled her fellow pilgrims from Passaic.

Holy Family Parish of Florham Park, in addition to always welcoming its youngest parishioners to Mass every weekend, now offers a “Book Baskets” program to further engage them in the education of the Eucharistic celebration and Catholicism in general. Dr. Suzanne Herold, the parish director of Faith Formation, said, “Holy Family is committed to ensuring that we are truly a holy family, a place where each member of our Church feels welcome.