Hundreds of thousands of Catholics will gather in churches across the four counties of the Diocese of Trenton March 2 to commemorate Ash Wednesday, receive their ashes and begin the 40-day penitential season of Lent. Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will celebrate Mass in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, beginning at 12:10 p.m.  Ashes will be distributed to the congregants. All are welcome.

After a multi-year preparation effort and an 18-month intensive evaluation process, 31 elementary and secondary Catholic schools in the Diocese of Trenton have been re-accredited through Cognia, an international firm that evaluates and issues findings on all manner of education outlets.

A memo from the Diocese’s Catholic schools superintendent, Dr. Vincent de Paul Schmidt, was sent Feb. 10 to all Catholic school administrators in the Diocese of Trenton. 

The Catholic Bishops of New Jersey join to express our profound disappointment and deep concern about the passage of S49/A6260 - - the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act, which codifies into state law an individual’s right to an abortion, including late-term abortions. This law departs from the fundamental Catholic teaching that all life is sacred from conception to natural death. Even more distressing is that the legal and ethical calculus that underlies this new legislation absolutely and forthrightly extinguishes the human and moral identity of the unborn child. Perhaps the legislators who rushed through this Act in the waning moments of their terms did not want citizens to understand fully its inhuman and lethal consequences.

The Catholic Bishops of New Jersey have promulgated a letter to all Catholics and people of good will concerning legislation currently before the State Senate and Assembly for a vote that would be a direct assault on the sanctity of life.

The New Jersey Catholic Conference (NJCC) is calling on Catholics and all people of good will to urge their state elected officials to vote “no” on S49/A6260, legislation which effectively serves as a replacement to the Reproductive Freedom Act (RFA). The RFA was a controversial bill introduced in October 2020 that would have expanded abortion services in New Jersey to include late-term abortions, state-funding for abortions, mandating health insurance coverage for abortion services, and allowing for non-physician medical providers to perform abortions, all of which the NJCC vigorously opposed.

On Dec. 14, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., conveyed an appeal from leaders in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as relief work begins in Kentucky and other states that suffered an incalculable toll from the recent outbreak of tornadoes. 

Catholics of the Diocese of Trenton will be called to Catholics of the Diocese of Trenton will be called join their brothers and sisters across the globe in praying for and supporting the missionary work of the Church as part of the annual observance of World Mission Sunday Oct. 24. 

The New Jersey Catholic Bishops issued a provincial statement today recognizing September as “National Recovery Month.” In the statement, the bishops celebrate those who have achieved recovery and announce the release of new resources to help parishes and other Catholic organizations that seek to serve those who continue to suffer from various forms of addiction.

Returning once again to its annual commissioning of catechists for ministry to the community, the Church will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on Sept. 19 with the theme of “Say the Word and My Soul Shall Be Healed.”

Catholic Relief Services recently expressed gratitude to the Diocese for its generous support of the 2021 Rice Bowl Program in a Sept. 7 letter to Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M.

Remembrance of the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil on Sept. 11, 2001, has drawn communities together in prayer throughout the Diocese of Trenton for nearly two decades. This year as the nation marks 20 years since 9/11, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., invites the faithful and all people of good will to join in an online prayer service on the diocesan YouTube channel.

Remembrance of the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil on Sept. 11, 2001, has drawn communities together in prayer throughout the Diocese of Trenton for nearly two decades. This year as the nation marks 20 years since 9/11, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., invites the faithful and all people of good will to join in an online prayer service on the diocesan YouTube channel.

Seven parishes and agencies which serve the people of the Diocese of Trenton in diverse ways were awarded a total of $10,000 in grants from the 2021 Bishop George W. Ahr Endowment Fund. The fund, named for the seventh bishop of the Diocese, presents annual grants for projects which provide services for the poor and vulnerable population in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties.

The Diocese of Trenton is joining its counterparts around the world in preparing to celebrate the first World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, proclaimed by Pope Francis to occur on the fourth Sunday of July each year, close to the Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, grandparents of Jesus.  Set to take place this year on Sunday, July 25, the special day will have as its theme “I Am With You Always.”

The Bishops of New Jersey have ended the dispensation from the obligation to assist at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation effective June 5-6, 2021, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.  The faithful are to return to the practice of participating at weekly celebration of Mass in church.