Holy Week is always a busy time for priests. The final days of the earthly life of Jesus capture our full attention as we pray with God’s people. What a privilege is ours!
This year, I began the week with Fathers Edward Blanchett and James O’Neill, the deacons and faithful on Palm Sunday at Visitation Parish in Brick.
Monday saw the annual celebration of the blessing and consecration of sacramental oils at the Chrism Mass held in St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold, with pastor Msgr. Sam Sirianni, Father Edward Jawidzik and the parish deacons. The Diocese’s deacons and the faithful gathered in great numbers as the priests of the Diocese and I renewed our priestly commitments in their presence.
On Tuesday, I celebrated Mass for the residents of the nursing homes in Lawrenceville Rehabilitation Center, where my beloved Mom spent her last months. I miss her more each day. LRHC helped me learn to walk again so I have been twice blessed by its wonderful care.
St. Catharine Parish and its pastor Father Harry Cullen in Spring Lake hosted the Diocesan Tenebrae Service on Wednesday with a full church. This event was planned by my secretary, Father Jason Parzynski, and Father Michael Hall and Carolyn Norbut of the Office of Worship. A schola from Westminster Choir College provided beautiful music combining ancient chants with solemn prayers commemorating the death and burial of the Lord Jesus. Those in attendance were deeply moved, many to the point of tears.
In St. Martha Church in Point Pleasant, pastor Father David Swantek celebrated Holy Thursday’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper with a full church and invited me to preach and lead the Eucharistic Procession. I was able to observe the custom of visiting several churches afterwards to pray with people gathered there that night.
On Good Friday, I presided at the Service of the Lord’s Passion in Epiphany Church, Brick, along with pastor Father Michael Santangelo and the parish deacons, again with a full church.
I returned home on Holy Saturday to celebrate a glorious Easter Vigil in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Trenton during which I welcomed 28 new Catholics into the Church with Baptisms, Confirmations and First Communions. Their families and parish faithful joined Monsignors Joseph Roldan, rector, and Thomas Mullelly, vicar for clergy; Deacon Luis Ramos; Father Jason Parzynski, episcopal master of ceremonies, and nine servers as the choir provided beautiful Easter music for the solemn Mass of the Lord’s Resurrection.
As the sun rose on Easter Sunday morning, I traveled to Fort Dix Federal Prison to celebrate Mass for about 75 residents. It was a very moving opportunity for me to lead these men in Easter prayer.
I know that priests and deacons throughout the Diocese celebrated these holy days with their parishioners in the four counties as the season of Lent drew to a close this year. I was profoundly happy, as Shepherd of all God’s people entrusted to my pastoral care here, that I could be present with so many Catholics as we celebrated the mysteries of our faith in the Lord Jesus in the liturgies of our Church.
As Holy Week and Easter Sunday came to an end, I learned of the passing of Mother Mary Angelica, foundress and amazing evangelist of the EWTN television network. What a tremendous impact she had on the Catholic Church in our country. It was a truly fitting day, after so many years of suffering, for her to meet the Risen Lord Jesus whom she had served so well throughout her religious life. May she know his peace.
As I turned out the lights at home Easter night, I prayed with much gratitude for the clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese of Trenton, for the gift of this Holy Week, for the gift of our Blessed Lord and for the gift and grace of our Catholic faith.