News - August 2023 RSS Feed

Our Holy Father Pope Francis has announced that he will publish an apostolic exhortation on the environment on Oct. 4, the memorial feast of St. Francis of Assisi, as a follow up to his landmark encyclical on Care for Creation, Laudato Si’ (May 24, 2015).

BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M., HAS SHARED THIS MESSAGE for World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Our Holy Father Pope Francis has announced that he will publish an apostolic exhortation on the environment on Oct. 4 of this year, the memorial feast of St. Francis of Assisi, as a follow up to his landmark encyclical on care for creation, Laudato Si (May 24, 2015).

Three words loom large around this time every year: BACK TO SCHOOL!  It seems like just yesterday the radio was blasting the 1972 classic “Schools Out for Summer” by Alice Cooper to the delight of kids (and teachers!) everywhere!  That didn’t last long. 

I was looking in the cupboard for a cereal bowl the other morning and found a large mug with the words “choose happy” written on the side. I was more interested in my oatmeal than the inscription at first but as I sat down for breakfast, I read the words on the mug and started thinking about the advice imparted there. “Choose happy.” Who would imagine finding “wisdom” on a coffee mug so early in the morning?

CATHOLIC CHARITIES HAWAI’I IN THE HONOLULU DIOCESE has appealed for donations to help the agency meet the housing, food and other needs of what could be thousands of victims from wildfires raging on the island of Maui that wiped out an entire town and drove people to seek refuge in the ocean.

Yes, Tuesday, August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven and the Patronal Feast of the Diocese of Trenton, IS a holy day of obligation.  In other words, Catholics are obliged to attend Mass either on the vigil (the evening before) or on the day itself. Rather than focus on the “obligation,” which is described in the provisions of canon law (cc. 1246 and 1247) and supported by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for our country, perhaps we should consider the reasons of faith behind the obligation.

Yes, Tuesday, August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven and the Patronal Feast of the Diocese of Trenton, IS a holy day of obligation.  In other words, Catholics are obliged to attend Mass either on the vigil (the evening before) or on the day itself. Rather than focus on the “obligation,” which is described in the provisions of canon law (cc. 1246 and 1247) and supported by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for our country, perhaps we should consider the reasons of faith behind the obligation.

JUST IN TIME FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, New Jersey nonpublic schools have been granted substantial increased funding for school transportation – a much-needed boost that may give Catholic schools a more attractive financial standpoint from which to accept transportation bids.