News - Essays and Messages RSS Feed

As we remember, in awesome silence, those who died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York, Washington and Shanksville, those who gave their lives trying to save them, and their beloved families, co-workers and friends, let us together join in the prayer of Pope Benedict XVI when visiting Ground Zero in New York on April 20, 2008: 

Since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), several terms have appeared with increasing frequency in our Catholic vocabulary, among them “catechesis” and “evangelization/new evangelization.”  Although they are not actually new to the Catholic lexicon, their meaning and application within contemporary Catholic life and experience have developed and taken on greater significance.

Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M., has shared this message on the 25th anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. It has been twenty-five years since the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta died on September 5, 1997.  She was, without a doubt, one of the most well-known religious women of the 20th century.  Easily recognizable in her white and blue sari and veil, usually clutching a rosary in her wrinkled hands, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in India in 1950 to serve “the poorest of the poor.”  At a time when numbers are diminishing in religious orders of women, Mother Teresa’s sisters now serve in 139 countries, numbering over 5,100 members.  

I always feel grateful to live in a section of the country that enjoys a clear and distinct change of seasons and their accompanying weather patterns. In more recent years, however, those seasonal weather patterns seem to overlap and blend a bit more than in the past. I am not a meteorologist or scientist, but I am sure there are “scientific” reasons for such evidence of “climate change.” And I am also sure that there are many people who will either agree or disagree with those reasons, as well as those who simply do not care.

Home is the first and primary school. Parents are the first and primary teachers. By the time children enter the doors of a school, substantial education and formation has already taken place. Children bring with them to school all that they have learned in the family home: language and basic vocabulary, behaviors and social skills, attitudes and values.

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.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and its Committee on Pro-Life Activities have encouraged the dioceses of the United States to join in fasting and prayer for a renewed national commitment to the sacredness of all human life from conception through natural death this Friday, May 13, the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima.  As Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, I invite the clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese to pray the Rosary this Friday, May 13, for this intention.  Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., issued the following message: Recent events prompt me, as Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, to write once again to ask the all clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Diocese to reaffirm our commitment as Catholics to uphold the sacredness of all human life in each and all its stages, from conception to natural death, and to pray especially for an end to abortion in our time

“Religious Brothers Day,” celebrated on 1 May 2022, is an opportunity to celebrate and offer gratitude for the gift of religious brotherhood, a special vocation and call to men who offer their life in the service of God’s people through vows, prayer and the charisms of various religious orders.

Jesus said to Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed!” ​​​​​​​ This line from today’s Gospel according to John catches my attention every time I hear it.  We are all familiar with the Gospel account of Thomas the Apostle who we refer to as the so-called “doubter.”  He is known as “doubting Thomas” and that expression has even found its way into our everyday conversation when we encounter those who don’t believe in something.

I was a freshman in high school when I first heard the word “ecology.” Our science teacher distributed a copy of a February 1970 TIME magazine article about American environmentalist Barry Commoner and his efforts to raise consciousness about the environmental crisis confronting the world. A few months later, the same science teacher spoke to us enthusiastically about the establishment of the first annual “Earth Day” in the United States on April 22, 1970.