Essays and Messages

It is the mission of the Catholic Church to address and reform contemporary culture not the other way around.  That mission is rooted in the Lord Jesus Christ and his Gospel.  He has called the Catholic Church to be the “light of the world (Matthew 5:14).”

Since the 16th century, the practice of dedicating whole months to saints or other sacred things began to take root in the popular devotions of the Catholic Church. The month of August has traditionally been dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, with the Solemnity of the Assumption celebrated at its midpoint.

“In their old age, they still bear fruit (Psalm 92:15).” This year, the Catholic Church throughout the world celebrates the second Annual World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on the weekend of July 23-24. Initiated by our Holy Father Pope Francis in 2021, this annual event is intended to lift up and honor those among us who have “borne the heat of the day” so to speak and have entered their “golden years.”

With the July 4th holiday behind us, I offer my prayerful best wishes to all the clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese. May the summer season be a time of well-deserved relaxation, enjoyable times with family and friends and more opportunities for growing closer to the Lord Jesus.  As we continue to celebrate the diocesan phase of the national Eucharistic Revival, don’t forget to get to Mass and receive Holy Communion each Sunday throughout the summer months. Stop in Church to pray while you have a little extra time.  Life is always happier and better when we include the Lord Jesus in our plans. God bless you all!

For almost 50 years, pro-life Catholics and people of good will in the United States have prayed fervently, lobbied hard, participated in marches and raised their voices consistently that the fateful 1973 decision of the Supreme Court “Roe v. Wade” would be overturned.  Given the strident and unrelenting advocacy of those who have supported abortion over the years, it seemed an almost unreachable goal.  Today, that goal has been achieved.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops once again sponsors “Religious Freedom Week” this year, June 22-29, 2022, with the theme “Life and Dignity for All,” and the encouragement to “Pray. Reflect. Act.” As Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, I invite all the clergy, religious and faithful to join Catholics and people of all faiths throughout our nation to gratefully celebrate the religious freedoms we enjoy in the United States of America as we publicly live out our faith in service to the common good. 

“The love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit dwelling with us (Romans 5: 5).”   The Easter Season comes to an end as the Church celebrates the Solemn Feast of Pentecost, traditionally called the “birthday of the Church.”  Before returning to his Father, Jesus promised in the Gospel of John that he would send the Holy Spirit to those who believe in him (John 7: 39); that he would ask the Father to give us another, the Advocate, to be with us forever — the Spirit of Truth (John 14: 16-17); that he would not leave us orphans: “I will come to you (John 14: 18);” that when the Spirit comes, “he will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you (John 14:26);” that “he will guide you into all Truth (John 16: 13).” As Jesus ascended into heaven, described in the Gospel of Matthew, he proclaimed, “Behold, I will be with you always, even until the end of time (Matthew 28: 20).

Although the liturgical celebration of the Solemnity of the Ascension has been transferred to Sunday in the Dioceses of New Jersey, I can’t help but reflect about the feast we traditionally celebrated 40 days after Easter.  This great feast – whenever its placement in the Catholic Church calendar occurs – commemorates our belief that the Risen Lord Jesus, gathered with his disciples on Mount Tabor near Jerusalem, ascended body and soul into heaven, returning to his Father.  

Lifting up in prayer the souls of the children and teachers killed Tuesday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and united in grief with their parents and families, the words of St. Matthew’s Gospel account of the massacre of the holy innocents in Bethlehem come to my mind: “A voice was heard in Rama, sobbing and loud lamentation; Rachel was weeping for her children and she would not be consoled, since they were no more (Matthew 2:18; Jeremiah 3:15).”

Hate is an ugly emotion and even uglier when acted upon.  There is no other way to describe the vandalism of the church property of St. David the King Parish in West Windsor than to call it a “hate crime,” an intentional act of evil.  I had hoped that our Diocese would be spared the recent hate-filled experiences of other dioceses and churches throughout the country.  Sadly, today’s incidents put an end to that hope.