Some 35 local and national Christian, Muslim and Jewish faith leaders gathered in St. Lucy Parish in the Archdiocese of Newark on Jan. 13 for a prayer service and open discussion on the proposed mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and the expected fall out of family separations.
Happy New Year! Our Holy Father has proclaimed a Jubilee Year for 2025, marking the 2,025th anniversary of the Birth of Jesus. Generally, Jubilee years are held each 25 years to mark the important milestone related to our Savior’s birth. Jubilee years are meant to be a time of grace, a time to deepen our friendship with Jesus.
On Christmas Eve, the faithful of the Diocese attended Mass with expectant hearts in anticipation of the Birth of Christ. On that day, the date marked something else that was extraordinary.
Citing Advent as a time of preparation, Bishop James F. Checchio told members of St. Peter the Apostle Parish and University Community, New Brunswick, it was an appropriate time to install their new pastor, Father Michael K. Tabernero.
The phone rang in my office last week and the caller made my day. “Hi, Mary. I’m so glad you are there. I’d like to order a gift subscription to The Catholic Spirit for my friend. She loves the paper but can’t always get to church to get it.”
As Director of the Office of Pontifical Missions (Propagation of the Faith) for the Diocese of Metuchen, I often receive wonderful notes of gratitude from missionaries worldwide. Allow me to share the following article from the Apostles of Jesus Religious Missionary Institute, Father Andrew Amaruma, AJ.
Joyous Catholics of Filipino descent filled the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, Dec. 23 for the final night of Simbang Gabi, a pre-Christmas novena of Masses to honor the Christ Child through prayer, song and tradition.
When Sister Gabriela of the Incarnation, a Carmelite sister in Flemington, read some time ago of people in England arrested for praying silently near abortion clinics, she thought how ridiculous it was to think that prison bars could hold back prayers. “They were just standing there, praying!” she said. But she recognized what these silent witnesses had accomplished: they had called attention for those who might enter the clinic to the fact that they were not alone, that they were accompanied by the prayers of many.
Consecrated life is a call from God to a lifetime of radical discipleship shaped by the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience, commonly known as religious vows. These vows are not simply vows, but a way of life aims to embody the life of Jesus Christ on earth while giving witness to a prophetic message of hope anchored in the promises for a life of happiness with God. Consecrated life is a journey to be walked, not alone, but in communion with all heading toward heaven. While on the way, with God’s help, one works on personal holiness as well as on aiding each other to achieve sainthood as Church, the Bride of Christ. The human experience of the journey of life here and now could be scarred by psychological, emotional, social and physical suffering, not to mention the hardship brought about by wars and natural disasters.
Everyday when I get to my office, the first thing I do is place a few drops of frankincense oil in a small jar set before an image of the Holy Family and a number of other icons. On the Feast of Epiphany, known also as Three Kings Day, I decided to do a little research on frankincense – one of the gifts to the Holy Family after Jesus’ birth.
Many of us notice how the neighbors who put up their Christmas decorations right after Thanksgiving, are often found taking these down the day after Christmas. They do not even leave these up until the Baptism of the Lord, the last day of liturgical season of Christmas. When we consider how much work often goes into outdoor lights, the Nativity Scene indoors and the Christmas Tree, it seems so sad that just a few days after the bleak winter solstice, people are in a rush to take down and pack away these beautiful symbols of the Yuletide Season. That is, of course, if you are not of eastern European descent.
There is a story about the renowned symphony conductor, Arturo Toscanini. It is said that during the rehearsal with a symphony orchestra, Toscanini suddenly stopped the whole orchestra in mid-measure and announced accusingly, “I cannot hear ze second floot!” In the flood of music of a hundred-piece orchestra, Toscanini’s refined ear had perceived that a sound was lacking: the sound of a secondary instrument. Those missing notes of one line of music distorted the whole harmony. It was not that the second flute was playing the wrong notes. There was nothing incorrect in its line of melody. It was simply not bearing its part of the harmony, and it is the harmony that makes the symphony.
Lately, I feel like I have become one of the “older folk” I noticed at daily Mass throughout my life. Years ago I wondered why there were not more pressing things for them to do. Years later I realized that they were actually onto something and I was the oblivious one. They knew that Mass is the best way to start the day and the most important place to be on earth.
Catholics of the Diocese of Metuchen gathered in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi Dec. 28 were united in joy with brethren from around the world as they declared they were “Pilgrims of Hope” at the start of the 2025 Jubilee Year.
In cathedrals and co-cathedrals around the world, the opening of the Jubilee Year 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope took place Dec. 28-29. The Vatican issued specific instructions about how the inauguration Mass was to be celebrated, including requiring that a cross of significance to the Diocese be used in the opening ceremony.
Metuchen Diocese seminarian Jacob Dylan Miller was among 34 men who received the Ministry of Lector Jan. 12 in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at the Pontifical North American College, Vatican City State by his Archbishop John J. Kennedy, Secretary of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
This holiday season, the Unity Square Community Center was overwhelmed with gratitude as we received incredible donations from so many generous groups. Thanks to the Rutgers IDEA program, we received 200 care packages filled with essential items; St. Matthias Church contributed 100 blessing bags, while Maria Hunter and her family donated 75 more. These bags were thoughtfully packed with toiletries, hats, scarves, and gloves to keep our neighbors warm. The United Methodist Church also made a heartfelt contribution, donating clothes, coats, scarves, and gloves. Unity Square is so thankful to be able to share these much-needed care packages with their community. This kind of support means the world to Unity Square and to those in need.
The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick, proudly welcomes board certified pediatric surgeon Yi-Horng Lee, MD, to the Division of Pediatric Surgery. Dr. Lee has an impressive academic and clinical record. Prior to joining Saint Peter’s, he served as the surgeon-in-chief at Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick where he previously held the position of chief of Pediatric Surgery and director of Pediatric Trauma.
On a day celebrating light and hope, St. Thomas Aquinas High School came together for its annual Aquinas Star Mass, honoring two young members of the community. The Aquinas Stars are children from the community with chronic medical conditions whom STA “adopts” to provide year-round financial and emotional support. Celebrating the annual Mass on Dec. 13, this year it coincided with the Feast of Saint Lucy, a day symbolizing light and hope. Students, faculty, staff, and families gathered with Bishop James F. Checchio to honor this year’s Aquinas Stars, RJ and Allie, and their families.
From its beautiful campus featuring St. Ann Church to spacious classrooms, an extensive library and well-equipped science lab, to its position as the only classical school in the Diocese of Metuchen, St. Ann Classical Academy, Raritan, provides a special educational and faith experience for children.