Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney ordained 10 men Saturday as permanent deacons to serve the diocese at a Mass in the Cathe­dral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. He urged the new deacons to be “witnesses of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist” and to “keep the Eucharist at the center of your lives, families, and ministries.”

On June 3, 26 Mary Help of Christians Academy (MHCA) students in North Haledon graduated, with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney attending the commencement ceremony.

At Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta, 128 seniors celebrated their graduation day at the high school’s commencement ceremony on June 2. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney attended the graduation and participated in the ceremonies.

The Paterson Diocese on June 3 held a respect life gathering, Hispanic Encounter for Life, in Spanish, at the St. John Paul II Pastoral Center in Clifton. Its theme was “La Dignidad Humana, un Regalo de Dios,” or “The Dignity of Life, a Gift from God.

The Paterson Diocese is inviting local Catholics to take part in what promises to be a powerful spiritual experience: a Marian pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., in October. Participants have two options: a one-day pilgrimage on Saturday, Oct. 14, or an overnight, two-day pilgrimage, from Friday, Oct. 13 to Saturday, Oct. 14.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney last week told a group of faithful of the Paterson Diocese he was “so psyched” to lead them on a pilgrimage of a lifetime: to World Youth Day (WYD) 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal, later this summer.

At a Mass for the youth in 1997, the great St. John Paul II reminded young people that “life with Christ is a wonderful adventure.” A couple of weeks ago, those words came to life — once again — in the hearts of over a thousand young people from all the five Catholic dioceses in New Jersey who came together for the N.J. Catholic Youth Rally at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson.

The Diocese of Paterson will welcome 10 new deacons into the service of the Church on Saturday when Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney ordains them at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. The men have completed a five-year program of prayer, study, and formation.

In the tenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, we hear of the Mission (v. 1–4) and Commissioning (v. 5–15) of the 12 apostles. As Jesus sends out (commissions) his apostles, he also warns them, in verses 16–25, of “coming persecutions” and, in verses 26–33, tells them three times (v. 26, 28, and 31) “do not be afraid” when persecution comes.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney installed Father Misael Jaramillo (above) as pastor of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Clifton during a Mass he celebrated in the church on May 21. The Colombian-born priest was appointed pastor of the parish on April 25.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the principal celebrant of the annual Memorial Day Mass on Memorial Day, May 29, in the mausoleum chapel of Calvary Cemetery in Paterson. Father Peter VB Wells, director of the diocesan Cemetery Office, and pastor of Our Lady of the Valley and Holy Cross parishes in Wayne, concelebrated the Mass with the bishop.

The faith community of St. Paul Parish in Clifton on May 28 welcomed Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who presided over the 11 a.m. Mass for Pentecost Sunday. There, the bishop also administered the sacrament of confirmation to 22 young people of the parish.

The Diocese of Paterson is launching two new podcasts. The Paul Street Journal is a dynamic new podcast that explores the universal Church’s social teaching about economics. The first episode was made available on May 31. Topics range from the timeless — caring for the poor — to the contemporary — whether it’s appropriate to invest in index funds.

Idecided to include this lengthy quote from one of St. Augustine’s best-known sermons because I was originally “looking” for the last line, “Be what you see; receive what you are.” Those few words are one of the reasons why this sermon is so often quoted. I felt that it would be better to include the longer quote so that readers who may be unfamiliar with the (full) sermon could hear some of what led up to the “famous line.” The quote above is about one-third of the full sermon. I encourage readers to follow the link and read the text of the full sermon.