Father F. Cullen, pastor of St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish, Spring Lake, is now a monsignor.Harold
Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., presented Msgr. Cullen with the rescript from Pope Francis promoting him to rank of Rev. Monsignor, Chaplain to His Holiness, June 28, 2018. Bishop O'Connell surprised Father Cullen with the news during the summer gathering of priests from the Monmouth County Vicariate.
Ordained a priest in 1969 for the Diocese of Galway, Ireland, Father Cullen arrived in the Diocese of Trenton in 1982 and served in a number of parishes before being appointed to St. Catharine Parish in 2014.
Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M. reflects on Summertime and how we can make the most of this season full of family, friends and the Lord:
“Summer is a special time for family and friends by making time for them. No school! Picnics and barbecues; trips to the shore or mountains or wherever we enjoy some rest together; longer hours of daylight and star-filled nights; sitting outside, playing games, going to carnivals or summer concerts, taking long, leisurely walks or renewing healthy exercise to shed some winter pounds; gardening, picking strawberries or Jersey tomatoes and eating Jersey corn on the cob; doing lots of things or doing nothing in particular, summer is a time to slow down and realize how blessed we are by God, surrounded by those we love most who are truly gifts the Lord places in our lives.
Summer gives us an opportunity to pray without a lot of the usual distractions; to go to our parish church and celebrate God’s presence a little more often, maybe during the week; to read some good books — perhaps something spiritual — to help nourish and strengthen our souls; to engage in conversations we may not otherwise have time for; to tell stories, share memories and laugh with one another, something we may not do enough!
I have to believe that when God created the world and time and the seasons, he gave us summer as a “pause that refreshes,” again if we allow ourselves the time to pause. It is part of nature to soothe our human nature and ready ourselves for the long, busy months that follow.”
To read the full reflection from Bishop O’Connell, click here.