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IN RESPONSE TO THE CANONIZATION NEWS, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., announced that the Diocese of Trenton will celebrate a Mass Sunday, September 7 at 10:30 am at St. Dominic Church in Brick, home of the Diocesan Shrine of Carlo Acutis.

My Dad was a good man and a hardworking, great father. He loved my mother and his four sons. He was born before the Great Depression and was raised in poverty --- one of 13 siblings -- in what today we would call a “dysfunctional family.” Yet he remained attentive to his parents, buying coal for their furnace, turkeys for their Thanksgivings and trees for their Christmas celebrations. My Mom once told me he had never celebrated Thanksgiving at home until they were married.

My Dad was a good man and a hardworking, great father. He loved my mother and his four sons. He was born before the Great Depression and was raised in poverty --- one of 13 siblings -- in what today we would call a “dysfunctional family.” Yet he remained attentive to his parents, buying coal for their furnace, turkeys for their Thanksgivings and trees for their Christmas celebrations. My Mom once told me he had never celebrated Thanksgiving at home until they were married.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most profound and enduring expressions of Catholic spirituality. Rooted in Scripture and deepened through centuries of theological reflection and mystical experience, the Sacred Heart symbolizes the boundless love of Christ for humanity. It is a devotion that speaks to the heart of Christian faith: the mystery of divine love made visible and vulnerable.

The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is one of the most profound and enduring expressions of Catholic spirituality. Rooted in Scripture and deepened through centuries of theological reflection and mystical experience, the Sacred Heart symbolizes the boundless love of Christ for humanity. It is a devotion that speaks to the heart of Christian faith: the mystery of divine love made visible and vulnerable.

BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNEL, C.M., HAS SHARED THIS MESSEAGE for Pentecost Sunday On this Pentecost Sunday, we rejoice in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the birth of the Church. It is a day of renewal, a reminder of the fire of faith that unites us as one body in Christ.

On this Pentecost Sunday, we rejoice in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the birth of the Church. It is a day of renewal, a reminder of the fire of faith that unites us as one body in Christ.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will ordain Rev. Mr. Alan Bridges to the priesthood for the Diocese of Trenton May 31 during a 10 a.m. Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. Rev. Mr. (Deacon) Bridges, a native of New Jersey and a product of Catholic schools in Middlesex County, spent seven years in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserves. While serving in the military, the self-described “regular guy” began to discern God’s call to the priesthood, leading him on a journey that will culminate with his Ordination.

WITH AN AIM TO ENCOURAGE TANGIBLE SUPPORT for pregnant women in need, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committee on Pro-Life Activities released a new promotional video in May.

Since 2022, the solemn feast of the Ascension has been celebrated in the dioceses of New Jersey on the weekend of the 7th Sunday of Easter rather than on its traditional Thursday date, 40 days after Easter. Although some U.S. dioceses have maintained the Thursday placement on the liturgical calendar (Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Hartford and Omaha), the Bishops of New Jersey --- after consultation with some of their pastors --- determined that the change to the 7th Sunday of Easter fostered greater participation of Catholics at Mass, allowing for more Catholics to reflect on the significance of Christ’s Ascension. Sunday is already a “day of obligation.”

SINCE 2022, THE SOLEMN FEAST OF THE ASCENSION HAS BEEN CELEBRATED in the dioceses of New Jersey on the weekend of the 7th Sunday of Easter rather than on its traditional Thursday date, 40 days after Easter. Although some U.S. dioceses have maintained the Thursday placement on the liturgical calendar (Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Hartford and Omaha), the Bishops of New Jersey --- after consultation with some of their pastors --- determined that the change to the 7th Sunday of Easter fostered greater participation of Catholics at Mass, allowing for more Catholics to reflect on the significance of Christ’s Ascension. Sunday is already a “day of obligation.”

Fulfilling a vital role in the Church’s evangelization efforts, Catholic media keep the faithful informed of local and global events of import and help to spread the faith. Each year, as part of the Church’s commemoration of World Communications Day, the faithful are asked to support the essential work of Catholic media, especially in their local dioceses.

ON MAY 31 REV. MR. ALAN BRIDGES WILL BE ORDAINED BY BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M., at an Ordination Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. The ordination will be livestreamed on the diocesan YouTube channel www.youtube.com/trentondiocese.

This weekend, we pause to remember and honor the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the extraordinary dedication and selflessness of those who fought to protect our freedoms, ensuring that generations to come may live in liberty and peace.

This weekend, we pause to remember and honor the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the extraordinary dedication and selflessness of those who fought to protect our freedoms, ensuring that generations to come may live in liberty and peace.

We read these words in the Gospel of St. John: “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. I have appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you (John 15:16).” That is a profound thought for anyone considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life in the Catholic Church today. It is God who chooses us for his purposes.

We read these words in the Gospel of St. John: “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. I have appointed you to go and produce fruit that will last, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you (John 15:16).” That is a profound thought for anyone considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life in the Catholic Church today. It is God who chooses us for his purposes. As a seminarian many years ago I remember reading in Thomas Merton’s great book “No Man is an Island,” that “for each one of us, there is only one thing necessary: to fulfill our own destiny, according to God’s will: to be what God wants us to be.” He wrote: “Discovering vocation does not mean scrambling toward some prize just beyond my reach but accepting the treasure of true self I already possess. Vocation does not come from a voice “out there” calling me to be something I am not. It comes from a voice “in here” calling me to be the person I was born to be, to fulfill the original selfhood given me at birth by God.”

Our Mothers are one of God’s greatest gifts to us. They love us unconditionally and without hesitation, asking precious little in return. We honor them with a special Sunday in May once a year, but every day that we enjoy the breath of life should be a day to honor our mothers who, with God’s grace, gave us life.