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PLAINSBORO — Among the many challenges and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 or coronavirus pandemic have been the celebration of Masses of installation for new pastors to lead parishes in the diocese.
The elevation of Father Gerardo “Gerry” Paderon to pastor of Queenship of Mary Parish at a Mass was not immune to scheduling delays. He was appointed administrator of the parish by Bishop James F. Checchio Aug. 1, 2019, several months before the pandemic hit New Jersey, and appointed the fourth pastor of the parish Oct. 14, 2020.
“I was just starting to memorize the names of parishioners,” Father Paderon joked in his closing comments at his Mass of Installation at Queenship of Mary Church. Worshipers who packed the pews included members of the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Metuchen, and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Old Bridge, where he served as parochial vicar before his present assignment, as well as members of the diocesan Filipino Apostolate, which he coordinates.
One silver lining to the delay for Father Paderon was that it allowed him to request that his Mass of installation be celebrated on Sunday Aug. 22, the feast of the Queenship of Mary. The parish is the only one in the diocese dedicated to Queenship of Mary, patroness of the diocese.
“Three months ago,” Father Paderon said, “I called him [the bishop] and asked him to celebrate the Mass on feast day of Queenship of Mary. He had a prior engagement.
“I asked him, ‘How about the 21st?’
“He said, ‘OK.’
“I would not let him off the hook. That’s the story,” Father Paderon added, which elicited laughter from the congregation.
Father Paderon also expressed thanks for the gift of his priesthood and the ministry and the gift of “being allowed to serve this beautiful community of Queenship of Mary and, of course, Mary, our mother and our queen for always guiding me in life.”
In his homily, Bishop Checchio, said: “In the Gospel [Luke 412-42] today, Mary was declared blessed by Elizabeth. Because of her steadfast faith, she chose to always believe that God was with her and working out his plan in her. She trusted that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled.
“Mary is the model believer,” the bishop continued. “It is easy for us to trust and see the Lord working in our lives when things are going well, but it is more difficult to believe when we face sacrifices, conflict or rejection. Mary faced all of those things in her life. She faced them with faith. One of her titles is Lady of Sorrows. An enduring quality of Mary’s discipleship is that she trusted in the Lord, even when it meant accepting the difficulties that came her way.
“My brothers and sisters in Christ, your new pastor chose this date to have his Mass of Installation — Queenship of Mary, the parish feast day —gratefully tonight and not tomorrow morning, not just for coincidence, but rather by choice. It is not just something nice. Father is a believer who trusts in our mother’s protection and guidance for him and for all of us. He strives to emulate her example of faith and I know that you all do, too.
“And, so, we pray today for Father Gerry, that he may always lead this beautiful community of Queenship of Mary to have faith, just like hers. Trust that God is always at work even when we don’t realize it or it doesn’t seem like it. He never forgets us. Help us to remake our world over in the image of the God.”
At a reception, Deacon Rick Fortune, who served with Father Paderon at the Cathedral, said: “He is passionate about his faith, a true believer in the Eucharist and in the love that Christ has shown us and he shows that so much to everybody in the community — individually and as a group. He is somebody to be emulated.”
Father Paderon was born one of seven children in Lucban Quezon, Philippines. He attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Seminary, Sariama Quezon, Philippines, then earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at St. Francis de Sales Seminary and a master’s degree in theology at St. Alphonsus School of Theology.
He was ordained to the priesthood Sept. 13, 1994 at St. Ferdinand Cathedral in the Diocese of Lucena, Quezon, Philippines.
In addition to serving at Queenship of Mary, St. Thomas the Apostle and the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi parishes, Father Paderon also served as a parochial vicar at St. Mary Parish, Alpha.
Prior to his assignments in the diocese, he served as parochial vicar at St. Louis Bishop Parish and St. Mary Parish in Illinois. He also served as pastor of parishes in the Philippines, as well as chaplain of Enverga University, moderator of St. Roch Church and spiritual director of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Seminary.
