New pastor of St. Joseph Parish fosters spiritualty of monks for faithful

The Pentecost Novena is a very powerful and popular form of Roman Catholic devotion. The prayers that are said on each of the nine days culminating with the great Solemnity of Pentecost took on a new level of meaning this year for St. Joseph Parish, Bound Brook. Those days also became a time of preparation for the installation of its new pastor, Msgr. Joseph J. Kerrigan, by Bishop James F. Checchio May 23.
 

In his homily, Bishop Checchio noted the significance of the installation occurring on the Solemnity of Pentecost, the commemoration of the day that the Holy Spirit filled the Church. He said the main task of Msgr. Kerrigan as a new pastor was, “to set the conditions so that the Holy Spirit may come anew into the lives of the parishioners of St. Joseph.”

After announcing that he had appointed Msgr. Kerrigan as their new pastor, Bishop Checchio formally introduced him to four vital groups that will assist him. The clergy and staff of St. Joseph, the members of the finance committee and pastoral council along with the two civil trustees of the parish promised to cooperate with the pastor in their various roles and responsibilities. Msgr. Kerrigan pledged to collaborate with them in the spiritual, pastoral, social and temporal activities of St. Joseph Parish. He then led the congregation in proclaiming the Nicene Creed, making his oath of fidelity.
 

In his comments at the end of the Mass, Msgr. Kerrigan offered a “global thanks” for everyone who stepped up over the past nine days to bring about the fulfillment of the Pentecost Novena with his installation. He also expressed his gratitude to Father John R. Pringle, his predecessor at St. Joseph, for his “outstanding and wise pastoral leadership that allowed such a smooth and seamless transition.”
 

Msgr. Kerrigan was born in Plainfield to Cecilia and Joseph Kerrigan. He attended St. Cecelia School, Iselin, and Saint Joseph High School, Metuchen. He graduated from Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y., with a bachelor’s degree in quantitative methods and completed his formation training at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., with a Master of Divinity degree.

Msgr. Kerrigan was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Roberto Gonzalez at St. Paul the Apostle Church, New York City, May 12, 1990. As a new priest, Msgr. Kerrigan served as parochial vicar at five parishes in Memphis, Tenn., before coming to the Diocese of Metuchen, where he served as parochial vicar at St. Bartholomew Parish, East Brunswick, and pastor at Sacred Heart Parish, New Brunswick. In 2014, Sacred Heart Parish was merged with two other parishes in New Brunswick parishes to form Holy Family Parish. At St. Joseph, as at Holy Family, Msgr. Kerrigan’s fluency in Spanish will be vital.
 

In addition to his parish assignments, Msgr. Kerrigan has served as diocesan director of Catholic Relief Services and was a consultant to the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops for the Campaign for Human Development.
 

Msgr. Kerrigan noted that from St. Joseph’s founding almost 150 years ago, the parish has always been infused with a Benedictine spirituality introduced by the monks who had initially served the Catholics in the Bound Brook area. Because of this influence he believes it has never been very parochial in its outlook. Rather he said he feels it has a more global perspective and so he had always planned that the In-Pew portion of the 2021 Bishop’s Annual Appeal would be conducted on Pentecost Sunday, and with Bishop Checchio present it seemed even more appropriate. To speak about the Appeal and encourage parishioner participation he introduced Flavio Rojas, a member of St. Joseph Parish and a seminarian for the diocese who is studying at St. Andrew College Seminary at Seton Hall University, South Orange.
 

Rojas explained that the seminary education of the men preparing for ordination to the priesthood in this diocese relies upon the generous support of the parishioners. He gave examples of the costs of this education, tuition, room and board as well as other expenses.
 

Rojas noted that this aid is especially helpful for the international seminarians who do not have family in this country to assist them. The Bishop’s Annual Appeal also helps support seminarians during their summer assignments to the various parishes in the diocese. Rojas ended his presentation by thanking the parishioners and asking for their prayers for all the seminarians, Bishop Checchio, and Msgr. Kerrigan. And, he assured the parishioners of his prayers for all of them.
 

Reflecting on his own recent period of formation and discernment at the Trappist Monastery of Mepkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, S.C., Msgr. Kerrigan echoed Rojas on the need to financially support the formation of seminarians for the diocese. It was during his time with the Trappists that Msgr. Kerrigan said he again was able to fully appreciate the value of contemplative prayer and the benefits it offers. To encourage this practice in the diocese, he has implemented an opportunity for St. Joseph’s parishioners and others to experience contemplative prayer every week, Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. in the church.
 

Msgr. Kerrigan said his period of discernment with the Trappists also allowed him to recognize Bishop Checchio as the example of a bishop that any seminarian or any person in discernment needs to guide their decisions. He publicly thanked the bishop saying, “his wide experience and deep guidance was responsible for bringing me here today.”
 

At the conclusion of the Mass, Bishop Checchio requested prayers and support for all the seminarians, vocations to the priesthood, Msgr. Kerrigan and himself.
 

Deacon Cline exercises his ministry at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Bridgewater