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World Day of the Sick ∙ National Marriage Week begins ∙ Ash Wednesday ∙ Synod listening sessions
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February 9, 2024BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M., HAS SHARED THIS MESSAGE for the World Day of the Sick, Feb. 11
Sickness is always an unwelcome guest in the “home” of our bodies. Whether its visit is brief or long, expected or unanticipated, recognized or subtle, sickness’ knock on the door is one that no one wants to answer. Try as one may to keep it out, sickness eventually finds its way in and — like an obnoxious houseguest — takes over every room, leaving its hosts to wonder if it will ever leave. The analogy here, although not very poetic, makes the point for which it is intended.
The universal experience of COVID acquainted the entire world with “sickness” in the form of a pandemic that just does not seem to be in any hurry to leave us as it morphs and changes into highly transmissible variants with new names and potentially dangerous symptoms. Hundreds of millions of cases have been reported worldwide claiming multi-millions of lives so far: statistics that have shaken the world’s population to its core, turning life as we know it on its head. Will this “unwelcome guest” ever leave? Will life ever return to “some kind of normal?”
Read Bishop O’Connell’s message in its entirety HERE.
CELEBRATING THE SACRED UNION OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES, World Marriage Day Feb. 11 and National Marriage Week Feb. 7-14 will recognize their sacramental commitment with special blessings and resources to help couples strengthen their relationships.
The theme for this year’s World Marriage Day and National Marriage Week is “Love Beyond Words” – the permanent, faithful and fruitful love in a sacramental marriage is truly beyond words.
“Last year we combined our World Marriage Day efforts with the launch of ‘The Wedding Survival Guide for Catholics – 44 Strategies to Survive Wedding Planning and Thrive in a Catholic Marriage,’ and the Encouraging Catholic Weddings (ECW) initiative,” said Peg Hensler, associate director of Marriage Ministries and NFP for the Diocese. “This year we are building on the ECW initiative with our Encouraging Catholic Weddings video series – 17 short videos on the benefits of Catholic marriage and Catholic wedding planning – and our social media graphics.”
Read more about National Marriage Week and World Marriage Day HERE.
THE COINCIDING THIS YEAR OF ASH WEDNESDAY AND VALENTINE’S DAY has prompted some to ask about a dispensation from Lenten restrictions.
The Diocese of Trenton is not issuing a dispensation from the required obligation of fasting and abstinence from meat on this Ash Wednesday, February 14.
In preparation for the second set of Synod sessions scheduled for October, the Holy See, along with the U.S. Bishops Office for the Synod plans to hold at least two diocesan-wide listening sessions for faithful of the Diocese.
The Trenton Diocese Office of Pastoral Planning has planned two listening sessions with the first to be held in-person on March 2 from 9:30 a.m. to noon in St. David the King Parish, 1 New Village Rd., Princeton Junction. The second session, that will be online, is planned for March 7 from 7 to 9 p.m.
Offered for persons who participated in listening sessions in 2022 and those who did not, the upcoming listening sessions will focus on two questions: “Where have I seen or experienced successes – and distresses – within the Church’s structure(s)/organization/leadership/life that encourage or hinder the Mission?” and “How can the structures and organization of the Church help all the baptized to respond to the call to proclaim the Gospel and to live as a community of love and mercy in Christ.”
Terry Ginther, diocesan chancellor and executive director of pastoral life and mission, noted that several Scriptures have been provided for inspiration along with the wording of the two questions for discussion. As they had from the first round of listening sessions two years ago, the notes from the reflections will contribute toward the preparation of the working documents for the October 2024 Synod session in Rome.
Read more about the Listening Sessions HERE.