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Open to young adults ages 21 and older, the event will feature Catholic trivia, witness stories and opportunities for questions and discussion.

THE CHANCERY OFFICES IN LAWRENCEVILLE will be closed Friday, August 14, in honor of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, which is Saturday, August 15. Regular office hours will resume Monday, August 17.

​ Bishop O'Connell encourages the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Trenton to financially support the people affected by the devastating earthquake in Columbia with donations made through Catholic Relief Services along with our continuing prayers.

THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY into heaven falls on Saturday August 15 this year and, although this year it is NOT a day of obligation, it remains a pre-eminent Marian feast that should be honored and remembered as a holy day. In the Diocese of Trenton, Mary Queen of the Assumption is our diocesan patroness and the name of our Cathedral. Please, permit me to share some reflections about this solemn feast with you.

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven falls on Saturday August 15 this year and, although this year it is NOT a day of obligation, it remains a pre-eminent Marian feast that should be honored and remembered as a holy day. In the Diocese of Trenton, Mary Queen of the Assumption is our diocesan patroness and the name of our Cathedral. Please, permit me to share some reflections about this solemn feast with you.

Hosted by the diocesan Department of Vocations, the retreat will be led by Father Alan Bridges, parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, and will include Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, reflections, Mass and a Eucharistic procession. Breakfast and lunch will be served.

On our cover, young Catholics from across the Diocese show what it means to be “Mission Driven.” Some 125 teens took time away from their typical summer activities to participate in MISSION: Jersey, serving people in need at sites in Brick, Freehold and Trenton. From tending community gardens and stocking food pantries to preparing lunches and helping create colorful hospital gowns for young patients, these teens put the Gospel into action in meaningful ways.

The Bishop stated, “As of this writing, we are aware that the earthquake has taken dozens of lives and impacted thousands of people who are injured, displaced and terrified. We are especially concerned about the families and other loved ones of some of our Colombian-born priests serving here in the Diocese.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has called for prayers after receiving the news about the earthquake to hit Colombia and Ecuador early Aug. 10. The Bishop stated, “As of this writing, we are aware that the earthquake has taken dozens of lives and impacted thousands of people who are injured, displaced and terrified

On Sept. 1, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will celebrate a Mass for the Care of Creation at 7 p.m. in Our Lady Star of the Sea Chapel at St. Denis Parish, Manasquan. The celebration echoes the Diocese’s inaugural Mass for the occasion, which Bishop O’Connell celebrated there in 2015. Since then, many parishes throughout the Diocese of Trenton have established their own annual observances of the Season of Creation, celebrated each year from Sept. 1 through Oct. 4.

ST. JOHN VIANNEY IS KNOWN as the patron saint of parish priests, so it's fitting that he will soon be honored as part of a local call to prayer for those considering religious life. St. Michael Parish, West End, has for several years held a day of prayer for vocations on his feast day, August 4, and this year the Diocese of Trenton's Office of Vocations is joining the parish for a daylong event.

OCCASIONALLY, I RECEIVE LETTERS RECOMMENDING (SOMETIMES EVEN DEMANDING!) that my brother bishops and I devote less time to the topic of abortion and focus on other things. People frequently characterize abortion as a divisive “political” issue rather than the “moral” issue that it fundamentally is.

The sobering reality is that, since 1973, according to the Guttmacher Institute, more than 63 million abortions have been performed in the United States, twice the population of the entire state of Texas. In fact, most countries in the world have populations under 63 million! Contributing to these alarming US statistics is the increased availability of abortion-inducing drugs (specifically mifepristone), first made officially available by mail in December 2021.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., issued a call for prayer in advance of Father Garrett’s surgery. He writes, “I invite all the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Trenton to join me in prayer for one of our priests, Father J.C. Garrett, who has, at long last, located a kidney donor for transplant surgery on July 22.”

The annual collection is taken up in all Catholic churches across Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties, coinciding with the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. Begun in 2022 by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., the fund supports more than 80 priests of the Diocese in their retirement housing and healthcare needs.