Father Michael Kottar, a Roman Catholic priest who had served in the Diocese of Charlotte for more than 21 years and who revealed earlier this month that a rare brain disease would soon take his life, died on Saturday night in Pickerington, Ohio. He was 53.

The Fed Challenge team at Mount Saint Mary Academy, Watchung, recently had a paper entitled, “Leading Factors of Gender Inequality” accepted into the “Journal of Future Economists,” said Kathleen Brennan, chairperson of the all-girls school’s Department of Mathematics.

PHILLIPSBURG – Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen (CCDOM), is offering immigrants who want to apply to become a United States citizen, consultations and a free companion. This free offer is available until September. The normal cost for the service is $550.

PISCATAWAY — Seminarian Ngu Quoc Tran, or “Peter,” as he was affectionately called by those who knew him, lost his life in a hit-and-run accident in the East Side of Manhattan, N.Y., May 11.

Walt Whitman once wrote, “The art of art, the glory of expression and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity.” The 19th century poet might well have enjoyed the simplicity and glorious expression, not to mention strong faith, emanating from the hearts of youth in the diocese as they engage in the annual Seminarian Letter Project.

For centuries, the Catholic Church has dedicated the entire month of May to honor Mary, Mother of God. This tradition expresses our belief that Mary is the Mother of Christ, whom from the first moment of His conception was both human and divine.