The King of all nations reigned as parishioners hailing from a diversity of cultural backgrounds and nations joined together for the 11 a.m. Mass Nov. 26 for the celebration of the Feast of the Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, in St. Paul Church in Clifton.

Laity, priests and religious from across the Paterson Diocese filled the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson Dec. 3, the First Sunday of Advent, for the annual diocesan Christmas Concert, which celebrated “O Magnum Mysterium” — the “great mystery” of Christ’s birth.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit on Dec. 3 to St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Paterson where he served as the main celebrant and homilist of the 8 a.m. Mass for the First Sunday in Advent. He concelebrated the Mass with Father Eider Reyes, St. Anthony’s pastor.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit on Saturday, Dec. 2 to St. Cecilia Parish in Rockaway where he served as main celebrant and homilist of the vigil Mass for the First Sunday of Advent.

The Diocesan Commission for Catholic Filipino Ministries is hosting an inter-parish Simbang Gabi (Masses of the Night). The Advent novena will take place from Dec. 15 to 23. Parishes across the Diocese will be hosting Masses.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Sacred Heart Church in Clifton where he celebrated the vigil Mass for the Feast of Christ the King on Nov. 25.

The beatification of Blessed Father Solanus Casey on Nov. 18 became a joyful celebration for 18 members of the Murphy family, including faithful of Holy Spirit Parish in Pequannock, who joined more than 60,000 Catholics for the historic Mass for the beloved priest in Ford Field in Detroit. During the liturgy, the Murphy clan from New Jersey and Ireland watched with great excitement as Father Casey — a third cousin to the local family’s oldest generation — moved a step closer to sainthood.

The nine Catholic parishes of the Northern Morris Deanery will ring their church bells loud and clear at 3 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, to call attention to a timeless message that our nation still needs to hear — that everyone everywhere must recognize the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.

The Beacon began the Christmas Sharing Fund in 1983 to share with our readership compelling stories from clients of diocesan Catholic Charities agencies whose outlook for Christmas and the New Year were bleak, to say the least. More than three decades later the heart of the Christmas Sharing Fund remains the same — bringing awareness about the plight of our needy neighbors across the Paterson Diocese to our subscribers.