Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will be principal celebrant and homilist and will be joined at the altar by priests from around the Diocese. Bagpipers, pipe and drum corps members and color guard processions will be part of the day’s tribute. Representatives of the law enforcement community will participate in the Mass as readers and in singing of The National Anthem.

That first Easter Sunday morning at the tomb was just such an occasion. All four Gospel accounts describe the women coming to the tomb but finding it empty. They arrived to mourn and to anoint Jesus’ body but it was not there. We can be sure a thousand thoughts raced through their confused and frightened minds in an instant as they peered into the burial space to see the funeral cloths lying there but no body.

That first Easter Sunday morning at the tomb was just such an occasion. All four Gospel accounts describe the women coming to the tomb but finding it empty. They arrived to mourn and to anoint Jesus’ body but it was not there. We can be sure a thousand thoughts raced through their confused and frightened minds in an instant as they peered into the burial space to see the funeral cloths lying there but no body.

THE MOST SOLEMN AND SACRED DAYS OF THE CHURCH YEAR have arrived as hundreds of thousands of Catholics prepare to take part in Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday Masses and observances.

Record-breaking number of converts to fully enter Catholic Church at Easter Vigil The most solemn and sacred days of the Church year have arrived as hundreds of thousands of Catholics prepare to take part in Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday Masses and observances.

THE CHANCERY OFFICES IN LAWRENCEVILLE will be closed Thursday, April 2, through Easter Monday, April 6. Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, April 7.

Celebrated each year during Holy Week in Catholic churches around the globe, the Diocese’s local Chrism Mass will take place beginning at 7:30 p.m. in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, 61 Georgia Rd., Freehold.

During the Mass, Bishop O’Connell will consecrate the Sacred Chrism and bless the Oil of the Sick and Oil of the Catechumens – sacred oils used in parishes throughout the coming year for the conferral of Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick.

THE NEW JERSEY CATHOLIC CONFERENCE, in partnership with the New Jersey Catholic Dioceses, Catholic Charities agencies and Catholic Healthcare Partnership of New Jersey, will host a one-day mental health conference May 2 from 8:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m. in St. John Neumann Pastoral Center, 146 Metlars Lane, Piscataway.

In observance of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., shares a warm greeting with the faithful of the Diocese of Trenton. Celebrated each year on March 19, this feast honors St. Joseph, the faithful guardian of the Holy Family and patron of the universal Church

People of all faiths throughout Central New Jersey are invited to pray for law enforcement personnel during the 24th annual Blue Mass April 7 in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, 61 Georgia Rd., Freehold, beginning at 10:30 a.m.

In observance of the Memorial of Saint Patrick, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., shares a warm St. Patrick’s Day greeting with the faithful of the Diocese of Trenton. Marked each year on March 17, the feast honors Saint Patrick, bishop and the patron saint of Ireland.

“LIVING AND DYING WELL: Facing the Pastoral & Practical Challenges at Times of Severe Illness and End-of-Life,” a seminar offered by the Diocese’s Respect Life Ministry has been postponed until a later date. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available.

THE U.S. BISHOPS’ ANNUAL CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES COLLECTION, which helps some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in need in the United States and worldwide, will be taken in most U.S. dioceses at Masses the weekend of March 14-15.

In response to this issue, the New Jersey Catholic Conference has posted an Action Alert, offering an online option to contact New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill to express support for increasing funding for nonpublic school security from $205 to $260 per pupil in the state’s next budget, which takes effect July 1.

As public institutions receive additional funding to bolster security in their facilities, Catholic school leaders and advocated in the Diocese of Trenton and across the state are urging support for a proposed increase in state funding that would facilitate similar measures in nonpublic schools.

The Chancery building in Lawrenceville will be closed Monday, Feb. 23, due to inclement weather. The Chancery staff will work remotely and can be reached via email. Stay warm and safe!

BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M., HAS CANCELED THE RITE OF ELECTION scheduled for Sunday, February 22 at 3:00 p.m., due to the timing of the snowfall and concern for safety. Bishop O’Connell has delegated the Rite of Election to pastors. As many parishes had already scheduled a Rite of Sending for Sunday morning, replacement with the Rite of Election, or with the combined Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion, is recommended.

“Let us ask for the grace of a Lent that leads us to greater attentiveness to God and to the least among us. Let us ask for the strength that comes from the type of fasting that also extends to our use of language, so that hurtful words may diminish and give way to a greater space for the voice of others. Let us strive to make our communities places where the cry of those who suffer finds welcome, and listening opens paths towards liberation, making us ready and eager to contribute to building a civilization of love (Pope Leo XIV, Message for Lent 2026).”

The season that begins on Ash Wednesday, once marked by an unmistakably sober tone, has gradually taken on a more inviting character. The Church has never abandoned the penitential heart of Lent, but she now often expresses it in ways that accent the more life-giving and transformative rather than simply things burdensome. Sacrifice remains important – but it is no longer meant to stand alone.