Rain storms could not wash away the faith and great devotion Filipinos had during Pope Francis’ papal visit to the Philippines Jan. 15-19. A record 6 million people — the largest papal gathering in history — attended the final Mass of the pope’s visit held at Rizal Park in the country’s capital city, Manila. The pope’s papal pilgrimage to the Philippines was themed “Awa at Habag,” in Tagalog or “Mercy and Compassion” in English.

Fond memories flooded back for Father Paul O’Donnell Duggan, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel (OLGC) Parish here, on Oct. 19, when Pope Paul VI was beatified in Rome to the day 44 years earlier when the “blessed” late Italian pontiff ordained him and his brother, Frank, to the priesthood in that same place: St. Peter’s Basilica.

It took Salesian Sister Guerline Joseph three takes. Through it all, the Haitian-born religious sister never got nervous. She just looked straight into the front lens of a video camera and talked about her joy in serving the Paterson Diocese and the history and work of her religious community.

Benjamin Franklin holds the great distinction of being not only one of America’s founding fathers, but also one of her most cherished sons. He was statesman, writer, inventor and philosopher. In our age of increasing specialization, the breadth of his contributions staggers the mind. The Franklin stove, the lightning rod, swim fins, the glass armonica, the flexible catheter and bifocal glasses, to name a few.

Smart phones have become indispensable items for us all. They are intertwined in our daily lives so much so that we cannot do without them. And just when we think there is something our smart phone can’t help us with — well, as they say, there’s an app for that.