CCC collection to benefit communications work • Bishop celebrates 40th anniversary • Holiday Hours

THE DIOCESE OF TRENTON, LIKE ITS COUNTERPARTS ACROSS THE NATION, will ask the faithful to support its communications and media work through a donation to the Catholic Communications Campaign at all Masses May 28 and 29. 

Scheduled to coincide with World Communications Day, the CCC collection was established in 1979 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in order to provide essential resources for the Church’s outreach to the community through traditional and evolving media formats. Fifty percent of collected funds goes to the USCCB for projects such as production of faith-based documentary films and creation of multimedia content for key campaigns, such as “For Your Marriage.” 

The remaining 50 percent of donations will remain in the Diocese, where it will be used to subsidize the many forms of communications and media outreach across digital, social and print formats.

In the Diocese of Trenton, funds from the CCC subsidizes a full range of communications outreach using traditional and evolving media formats.  According to Rayanne Bennett, executive director of communications and media, donations to the CCC had dropped off in recent years due to the pandemic and decreased Mass attendance.  In 2021, less than $50,000 was collected, down from over $80,000 in years prior to COVID-19.

“We are hoping that we can restore this collection to pre-COVID numbers, as there has never been a greater need for the Church to evangelize and educate using every form of available media,” Bennett stated. “We hope that our people will remember all that the Diocese does through its communications and media work, and generously respond to this annual collection.”

Bennett explained that the diocesan half of the collection “will help us continue our work in producing inspiring and informative content across our communications platforms – including our Youtube channel, websites, social media and our award-winning monthly publication, The Monitor Magazine.

“Our digital footprint has grown substantially over the past few years, with livestreaming making it possible for tens of thousands of individuals to engage with major diocesan Masses and other gatherings, and our multimedia news reporting presenting key coverage in the ways that people want to consume it,” Bennett said. In the last year, the Department of Multimedia Production had 90 videos in English and Spanish to their credit.

“The expansion of our social media presence plays a crucial role in relaying information in real-time. Delivering messages from Bishop O’Connell, reporting on location from major diocesan events, sharing photos from a parish or school celebration, the diocesan managed Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts bring the good news and the Good News directly to the faithful daily,” Bennett said.

Read more about the CCC campaign click HERE. You also may send your gift to the CCC directly to the Diocese at: The Diocese of Trenton, Department of Finance, 701 Lawrenceville Rd. P.O. Box 5147, Trenton, NJ 08638-0147.  Please mark the envelope:  CCC collection.

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BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M., WILL CELEBRATE HIS 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS PRIESTLY ORDINATION May 29.  The Chancery staff commemorated the milestone with a breakfast in his honor in the Lawrenceville offices the morning of May 24.

The staff presented the Bishop with a spiritual bouquet, in which they made pledges of prayer, acts of service or sacrifice, charitable donations, arranging for special Masses or spending time in Eucharistic Adoration.

A slideshow video paying tribute to Bishop O’Connell’s life and ministry was screened.   Watch it HERE. 

A highlight of the celebration was the arrival of three students from Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, who brought Bishop O’Connell several gifts from their school, including an NDHS monogrammed shirt and a set of 4 glasses with an NDHS etched emblem. 

“It’s been 40 great years of service as a priest,” Bishop O’Connell said. “It’s something I always wanted to do and something I am very happy doing. It’s been a real joy.”

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THE CHANCERY WILL BE CLOSED Friday, May 27 and Monday, May 30 for Memorial Day and will resume regular business hours Tuesday, May 31.