Who was St. Valentine? Did he really exist? Is he just a legend? In this technological age of the internet, when we have questions such as these, it seems that all we need to do is “Google,” type in “St. Valentine” and see what comes up. The first option in my “google search” was an article from the History Channel entitled 6 Surprising Facts about St. Valentine. If you read that article, you will not only read six interesting “facts” (or informed historical opinions) about St. Valentine, but you will also have the opportunity to click on a separate article, entitled Who was the Real St. Valentine?

On Feb. 2, the Church marked the 26th World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. Here in our Diocese we have a custom of celebrating the sisters, brothers, and priests who serve us through the vocation of Consecrated (Religious) Life in the month of May, when many are celebrating their jubilees and anniversaries. As I realized that the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life was approaching, I reflected on the many ways in which our Diocese is blessed by the presence, witness, and ministry of so many communities and congregations of vowed women and men religious, who, in their response to the Lord’s call, live out their particular charism and truly build up the Body of Christ in our midst.

From the first days that I began serving you as the Bishop of Paterson, I began learning about our Catholic schools. I had attended Catholic schools in my years of schooling. I learned from my brother priests in the Brooklyn Diocese about the schools in their parishes. Those initial experiences barely scratched the surface of what I have learned about Catholic schools in our diocese since I became your bishop.

On Jan. 10, the N.J. State Senate (by a 23–15 vote) and Assembly (by a 46–22 vote, with eight abstentions) passed a new law (S 49), called by some, the “Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act.” Gov. Phil Murphy signed that bill into law on Jan. 13. On Jan. 17, we marked, as a nation, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The law (S 49) that was passed by our state legislators and signed by our governor is a terribly unjust law, as it fails to recognize the “personhood” of an unborn child.

Once again, we approach the sad anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision on Jan. 22, 1973, 49 years ago, that legalized abortion throughout our country. When we think of the millions of innocent lives that have been taken over these past 49 years and the damage done to Moms and all those involved in the “abortion industry,” we must ask ourselves what this says about us as a society and nation? As people of faith, we have to ask whether, as in the teachings of St. Pope John Paul II, a Culture of Death is winning the battle in our effort to promote and build a Culture of Life?

On March 27, 2020, at an early point in the global pandemic, Pope Francis walked alone in the rain across an empty St. Peter’s Square to offer prayer for the world in a time of crisis. “Faith,” he said, “begins when we realize we are in need of salvation. We are not self-sufficient; by ourselves we founder: we need the Lord, like ancient navigators needed the stars.” Recalling when Jesus was asleep in the boat as a tempest was raging (Mk 4:35–41), the Holy Father said, “The Lord awakens so as to reawaken and revive our Easter faith.” On that day, Pope Francis presided over the rite of Eucharistic Exposition and Benediction in order to focus our attention on the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. The Pope was reminding us that even in a time of turbulence and crisis, Jesus is present among us, as present as he was long ago in the boat on the Sea of Galilee.