Good Shepherd

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Monica Parish in Sussex June 15 and celebrated the vigil Mass for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. During the Mass, the Bishop administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to young people of the parish.

The reality that young people are leaving the Catholic faith and instead choosing to identify as non-religious at alarming rates represents a crisis for the Church but also an opportunity for parishes in the U.S. to discover and put in place innovative ways to attract and keep these young faithful and form them into disciples. These “outside the box” parish initiatives must aim to give youth a place where they feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, start forming them younger — as early as middle school — and help the faith community clearly articulate why its members believe in Christ.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Stephen Magyar Church in Passaic June 16 where he celebrated Mass to mark the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity with Auxiliary Bishop Frenec Cserhati, of Estergom-Budapest, Hungary, who is in charge of the pastoral care of Hungarians living abroad.

When Mayme Puccio was taking care of her husband, Joe, at his bedside during his final days, it was one of the most difficult moments in her life for her to witness. Just months prior, her mother passed away at 94 years old. During this time, she saw the importance of prayers and spiritual consolation needed for those who were dying. Puccio is now on a mission. She hopes to start an apostolate for the sick and the dying.

The quiet of the Adoration Chapel at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany feels like a world away from the hustle and bustle of suburban life outside and away from daily troubles. Its rows of wooden pews welcome the dozens of adorers who visit throughout the day to pray before the Blessed Sacrament on the altar. They sit or kneel with hands folded or read prayers or Scripture in silence. One woman listens to recited prayers on her iPhone through earbud headphones.

More often than not, commencement speakers give graduates advice based on the speaker’s life experiences and what they can do with that newly-minted diploma as they enter the business world. But what about giving graduates advice about their faith as they step into the secular world?

A movement in religious education started to take root last year in several parishes of the Diocese with the new Family Faith Formation Program, developed by a local parish religious education director, that helps entire families center their lives around their faith and the summit of our faith: the Mass. Endorsed by Bishop Serratelli, the initiative encourages parents and children to attend Mass together; learn more about their faith, both together and in age-appropriate settings; and share their faith with each other.

Bishop Serratelli presided at the Diocese’s annual Priests Jubilee Mass on June 4 in St. Patrick Church in Chatham to celebrate the significant ordination anniversaries — 25, 40, 50 and 60 years — that 16 priests, who serve or have served the Church of Paterson, are celebrating this year. During the well-attended liturgy, the Bishop thanked almighty God for the gift of the jubilarians’ priesthoods.