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A message of peace •Schools' Mass livestream •High School showcase •Word Mission Sunday •New issue
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October 10, 2023BISHOP DAVID M. O'CONNELL, C.M., HAS SHARED THIS MESSAGE FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER 7 ATTACK ON ISRAEL by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
I remember his October 1965 trip to the United States so clearly, as though it were yesterday. As Catholic school children, we felt so proud to watch Pope St. Paul VI arrive in New York – the first pope to visit America. All of our classrooms were suddenly furnished with television sets to view this momentous occasion. Only much later in my life would I appreciate the purpose of this trip and the Pope’s message as he addressed the United Nations:
These are the words you are looking for us to say and the words we can
not utter without feeling aware of their seriousness and solemnity: never again one against the other, never, never again! … never again war! Never again war! It is peace, peace that has to guide the destiny of the nations of all mankind (Pope Paul VI, “Address to the United Nations,” October 4, 1965).
I recalled his impassioned words once again almost 60 years later as we heard the news on Saturday morning, Oct. 7, of the surprise and unprovoked attack on Israel by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. “Citizens of Israel, we are at war,” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu solemnly proclaimed in response. The sudden, staggering, indiscriminate loss of hundreds and hundreds of lives, the abductions and torture of Israeli military personnel and ordinary citizens as well as the ongoing threat to countless others in what promises to be another long and brutal conflict simply defy any reasonable, justifiable explanation.
Why can’t this region of the world ever experience enduring peace? Why is the assault and killing of people, our sisters and brothers, always the solution presented to deal with problems encountered there? Have we learned nothing from history?
Read the full message HERE.
BISHOP O’CONNELL AND CATHOLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE DIOCESE will commemorate the feast of Blessed Carlos Acutis during an Oct. 12 Mass in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold.
The feast day coincides with the Diocese’s Catholic Schools Mass, an annual event in which the Bishop celebrates Mass for students, along with their teachers, principals and family members. Last year, Bishop O’Connell placed all Catholic schools and young people in the Diocese under the patronage of Blessed Carlo, a faith-filled teenager who died in 2006 at the age of 15. Blessed Carlo was beatified by Pope Francis in 2020.
The Oct. 12 Mass is not open to the public but will be livestreamed on the diocesan Youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/trentondiocese. The Mass will begin with a procession at 10:15 a.m. in which students will carry flags or banners representing their respective schools. Also participating in the procession will be two participants from St. Mary Academy, Manahawkin, who will carry a portrait and relic of Blessed Carlo in commemoration of his feast day.
Soon after his appointment as Bishop of Trenton in 2010, Bishop O’Connell has made it a priority to host the annual Mass for Catholic Schools, giving the young people an experience to visit the diocesan Cathedral (St. Mary of the Assumption, Trenton) or the Co-Cathedral and attend Mass with him.
CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE DIOCESE OF TRENTON HAVE MUCH TO OFFER students of all abilities and interests, all while providing a Christ-centered environment and instruction in the Catholic faith. Along with cutting-edge academics, technological tools and competitive athletic teams, these schools are also committed to nurturing students’ spirit and faith.
See the special section HERE.
BISHOP O’CONNELL HAS SHARED THIS MESSAGE FOR WORLD MISSION SUNDAY.
On October 22, as we observe World Mission Sunday, we stand in solidarity with the Missions of the Church in this annual worldwide Eucharistic celebration.
Pope Francis reflected on this year’s theme: “Hearts on fire, feet on the move.” The Holy Father invites us to kindle the fire of Christ’s love in our hearts and to actively share this warmth with the world around us. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, we go forth and bring the Good News to all corners of the world.
Founded by French laywoman Blessed Pauline Jaricot in 1822, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith is an essential source of aid for the Church’s missionary work. In the United States, we benefited from these donations: up until 1908, we received close to 7 million dollars, the equivalent of over 250 million today. Those dioceses in our country, considered mission territories, continued to receive subsidies. Fairbanks, Alaska, was the last of those dioceses and received its final subsidy payment this year!
Read the full message HERE.
OCTOBER HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE BUSIEST MONTHS FOR CHURCH-BASED OBSERVANCES AND EVENTS, and that is especially true this year.
In an extraordinary moment in Church history, the Synod on Synodality has convened in Rome, drawing prelates and others from all over the world to explore what the faithful have said about their Church and discuss the ways it can best respond to the unique needs of the times in fidelity to Christ’s mission. Your new issue of The Monitor Magazine brings you 10 things to know about the Synod, and includes a prayer that Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has asked the faithful to pray during this monumental month-long gathering.
This is also Respect Life Month, and Bishop O’Connell has written a compelling reflection on the theme of “Radical Solidarity” and its call to respect life in all its stages.
In his message for the Month of the Holy Rosary, the Bishop shares the importance that praying the Rosary has long had in his daily life. Be sure to catch his compilation of what saints, popes and other holy individuals have said about this unique meditative prayer.
This is also the month for World Mission Sunday, and a special report on the way that the faithful of the Diocese have supported missionary work around the world.
It is also a bustling month for our Catholic schools as eighth graders and their families consider what comes next. The October issue includes our annual High School Showcase, featuring profiles of each school with information about open houses and entrance exams.
Finally, this month’s IN FOCUS examines the deep-seated problem of homelessness and ways that agencies and parishes are responding to the needs of those most impacted.
Add to that more than two dozen news articles and columns that tell the stories of our parishes, schools and people, and offer insight into readers’ faith lives.
In light of this remarkable month, and especially in this extraordinary time, it is no mystery that the October issue, at 72 pages, is one of largest of the year. There has never been a more important time to spend some quality time with your diocesan magazine.
The October print edition has been mailed to all PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS and the digital edition link has been sent to their inboxes. Subscribers also have unlimited access to all content on TrentonMonitor.com.
Not yet a subscriber? Sign up today safely and conveniently by clicking HERE or writing to [email protected].
