In the annual magazine supplement, LIVES OF FAITH 2018, The Monitor celebrates those priests, deacons, and religious men and women who are marking milestones of their ministry this year. The supplement will include listings, photos and profiles of clergy marking special anniversaries from five years to 75 years. Readers will also find full-length feature stories on priests who have just retired and were recently honored in their parish communities. Adding to the celebration are dozens of congratulatory messages submitted by parishes and others in the community.
“When I grow up and get out of school, I want to be ... a saint.” What? A saint? You don’t hear that too often, if at all. I mean, a pro-athlete, a firefighter or cop, a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, a veterinarian, a scientist, a teacher ... yep, those are the most common responses to surveys posing that question to young people. But a saint? That doesn’t make the list. You know what? You can be any of those things and have any of those career goals ... and still be a saint.
“Cuando crezca más y salgo de la escuela, yo quiero ser… un santo”. Umm, ¿Qué cosa? ¿Un santo? No se oye eso muy a menudo. Me parece más normal oír cosas como atleta profesional, bombero o policía, médico, abogado, ingeniera, veterinario, científica, maestro… sí, estas son las respuestas más comunes a las encuestas averiguando lo que quieren ser los jóvenes. Pero, ¡¿un santo?! Nunca vemos esa respuesta en la lista. ¿Sabes qué? Ustedes podrían ser cualquier de esas cosas y buscar alcanzar las metas de esas carreras… y todavía ser santos o santas. Es la pura verdad, compañeros.
“When I grow up and get out of school, I want to be ... a saint.” Whaaaaat? A saint? You don’t hear that too often, if at all. I mean, a pro-athlete, a firefighter or cop, a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, a veterinarian, a scientist, a teacher ... yep, those are the most common responses to surveys posing that question to young people. But a saint? That doesn’t make the list. You know what? You can be any of those things and have any of those career goals ... and still be a saint.
Bishop David M. O’Connell C.M. released the following statement today on the national call to prayer for the protection of human life: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Pro-Life Office has invited all the archdioceses and dioceses of the United States to join together in common prayer and action to promote the Church’s Pro-Life efforts. To that end, the USCCB has asked that each Friday from Aug. 3 to Sept. 28 be a time of “prayer and, when possible, fasting for life.” The USCCB is recommending praying ONE OUR FATHER, ONE HAIL MARY, ONE GLORY BE for the intention of life from conception to natural death on each of those Fridays. Here is another beautiful prayer that can be recited, not only on Fridays but also every day:
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Pro-Life Office has invited all the archdioceses and dioceses of the United States to join together in common prayer and action to promote the Church’s Pro-Life efforts. To that end, the USCCB has asked that each Friday from August 3 to September 28, be a time of “prayer and, when possible, fasting for life.”
Blessed Pope Paul VI, scheduled to be canonized a saint on October 14 of this year, was the first pope I ever saw in person. The date was May 25, 1975. The place was St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome at the canonization Mass for Saints Juan Garcia Lopez-Rico, O.SS.T., and Vincenta Maria Lopez y Vicuña. I had no particular attachment to either new saint but just happened to be in Rome at the time, prior to entering the novitiate of the Congregation of the Mission (C.M.). I did have an attachment to Pope Paul VI, however, who was Pope since I first entered the seminary in 1969. I admired him greatly.
Blessed Pope Paul VI, scheduled to be canonized a saint on October 14 of this year, was the first pope I ever saw in person. The date was May 25, 1975. The place was St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome at the canonization Mass for Saints Juan Garcia Lopez-Rico, O.SS.T., and Vincenta Maria Lopez y Vicuña. I had no particular attachment to either new saint but just happened to be in Rome at the time, prior to entering the novitiate of the Congregation of the Mission (C.M.). I did have an attachment to Pope Paul VI, however, who was Pope since I first entered the seminary in 1969. I admired him greatly.
El beato Papa Pablo VI, quien será canonizado a la santidad el 14 de octubre de este año, fue el primer papa a que yo conocí en persona. Pasó el 25 de marzo de 1975 en la Basílica San Pedro en Roma durante la Misa de canonización de los Santos Juan García López-Rico, O.SS.T., y Vicenta María López y Vicuña. Por casualidad me encontré en Roma antes de que yo entrara a noviciado de la Congregación de la Misión (C.M.), no era que me sentía especialmente cerca a ninguno de los santos. Sin embargo, yo sí me sentía muy conectado al papa Pablo VI, que era el papa cuando entré al seminario en el 1969. Yo le admiraba muchísimo.
On July 18, over 400 seniors gathered in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square yesterday for the “Senior Spirituality Day and So Much More” event hosted by the Department of Pastoral Care.
El gran regalo de envejecer es una tesorería de recuerdos, recuerdos de familiares y amigos, recuerdos de celebraciones alegres y momentos difíciles, recuerdos que nos hacen reír y sonreír, recuerdos que nos hacen llorar, recuerdos de una vida larga compuesta de décadas del pasado y que nos sostienen ahora en el presente hacia el futuro. Algunas de las personas más cercanas han fallecido y están con Dios mientras otras aún nos rodean con amor. Oramos por todas ellas. Hoy es una celebración de todos nuestros recuerdos y del Dios que nos brindó todos los dones que han llenado nuestras vidas. Hoy es una celebración de la fe que nos une en el presente y de nuestra gratitud por esa fe.
The great gift of growing older is a cherished treasury of memories, memories of family and friends, memories of joyful celebrations and difficult moments, memories that make us laugh and smile, memories that bring a tear to our eyes, memories of a long life most of which has filled decades of our past and which sustain us in the present, for the future. Some of the people closest to us have gone home to God while many others continue to surround us with love. We pray for them all. Today is a celebration of all our memories and of the God who gave us all the gifts that have filled our lives. Today is a celebration of the faith that joins us all together in the present and of our gratitude for that faith.
Con un saludo al pasado y esperanza abundante para el futuro, los católicos de Keyport abrieron una puerta a un nuevo capítulo en la vida de su comunidad el 1 de julio bajo el nuevo patrocinio de Nuestra Señora de Fátima.
Bringing good news for Catholic schools across New Jersey, the state budget signed by Gov. Phil Murphy July 1 will restore full funding for nonpublic school transportation, technology and nursing and retain funding for security.
The annual “Senior Spirituality and So Much More” Day, is scheduled for July 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in St. Gregory the Great Church and parish hall, Hamilton Square. Sponsored by the diocesan Department of Pastoral Care, the event is intended for adults ages 55 and over and features speakers and musical entertainment designed with seniors in mind.
We are witnesses to history in the making in the Diocese of Trenton. We hold in prayer the 14 former parish communities who, this past weekend, became seven new merged parishes as part of the Diocese's Faith in Our Future process. They are:
La Iglesia acaba de celebrar la Solemnidad de los Santos Pedro y Pablo el 29 de junio, conmemorando el martirio de los Apóstoles, San Pedro como el líder de los Apóstoles y San Pablo como el Apóstol a las Naciones. Cada año, se reconoce esta solemnidad como día feriado en Roma y suele marcar el principio de las vacaciones veraniegas para los oficiales del Vaticano después de una Misa pública celebrada por el Santo Padre en la Basílica San Pedro.
A message from Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M. The Church just observed the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul on June 29, commemorating the martyrdom of the Apostles, St. Peter as Chief of the Apostles and St. Paul as the Apostle to the Nations. Each year, this solemnity is a national holiday in Rome and has traditionally marked the beginning of the summer vacation period for Vatican officials following a public Mass celebrated by the Holy Father in St. Peter’s Basilica.