The People of God
in the Diocese of Trenton

The Church is the People of God: those who believe in Christ and who are reborn through the Word of the Living God; and of water and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ established the Church to bear witness to God’s Kingdom; to make all persons partakers in His redemption by extending the Kingdom of God throughout the world for the glory of God the Father, and to direct the whole universe to Christ through the instrumentality of all persons This is the apostolate of the People of God, and although in the Church there is a diversity of ministry, there is a oneness of mission Christ conferred on the Apostles and their successors the duty of teaching, sanctifying and ruling in His Name and Power. As an integral part of the Church, the laity derive the right and obligation to the apostolate from their very union with Christ the Head, and it is evident that the success of the lay apostolate depends upon the laity’s having union with Christ, according to the Lord’s words, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing ” (Jn 15:5) Thus, the Christian faithful, through Baptism, are made one Body with Christ, and are constituted among the People of God; they are, in their own way, through a multitude of vocations, made sharers in the priestly, prophetical and kingly functions of Christ, and they carry out the mission of the Church in the world.

• Within our rich diversity, we are made one by our Baptism in Christ.
• We are united with Jesus, the Eternal Shepherd, with our Holy Father, the Universal Shepherd, and with our Bishop, the local Shepherd.
• We form a community of faith, called to worship God, celebrate the sacraments and teach the Good News.
• As pilgrims, conscious of our sinfulness and need for reconciliation, we seek renewal always in the light of Christ.
• Responding to our call to discipleship, we reach out in love and service to all, ever striving to advance the cause of peace and justice in the Name of our Lord Jesus.