News - April 2021 RSS Feed

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) was a French Cistercian monk, theologian, preacher and reformer in the early Middle Ages who was well known – among many things – for his great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Catholic Home Missions Appeal will take place in parishes across the Diocese of Trenton at all Masses on the weekend of April 24-25.

I do not consider myself to be a Scripture “scholar” but, rather, a Scripture “reader.”  I do enjoy reading the Bible, especially the Gospels, and coming to know the Lord Jesus through the sacred texts.  I encourage you to do the same.  As often as I have read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, I always seem to pick up something new, something different, something I didn’t notice before.

Today, Friday April 16, is Pope Benedict XVI’s 94th birthday, making him the oldest Successor to St. Peter in history.

A civil lawsuit has been filed against the Diocese of Trenton alleging the sexual abuse of a minor in 1989-90 by Rev. Joseph Farrell, currently pastor of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish, New Egypt. The abuse was alleged to have taken place during Father Farrell’s ministry in Our Lady of Perpetual Help-St. Agnes Parish in Atlantic Highlands. A report was filed immediately by the Diocese with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Diocese has pledged its full cooperation to law enforcement. 

In addition to the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses as found in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21) that oblige Jews and Christians to this very day, the Catholic Church has established its own set of particular commandments or “precepts” that bind the baptized Catholic faithful.  

Is there any more powerful expression of love on earth than showing mercy to others? Such love reflects the ultimate love shown by our Divine Lord during the days of his Passion, Death and Resurrection which we just celebrated in the Church.

On the evening of Holy Saturday, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., urged the faithful to remember that nothing was ever the same again after the dark hours of Jesus’ Death gave way to the light of his glorious Resurrection.

The three days before Easter Sunday are, indeed, instructive.  They speak of commitment to something great, of sharing our very selves with one another, of the sacrifice that comes with love, of the precious yet limited time we have on this earth, of the hope that beyond this life, there is even more, even better — in fact, an eternity of joy for those who have faith in God and live their lives in love!