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Dear Parishioners,
We gather this week to listen to Bishop Kevin Sweeney’s message for the diocese. As we go live this weekend with the Diocesan Ministries Appeal, we are privileged to open our hearts to live the gospel message. Each person in the diocese is prayerfully encouraged to truly make a sacrifice to ensure that our annual Diocesan Appeal can bring help and support to many different persons. A large part of the funds goes to support Catholic Charities. We here at St. Luke are very familiar with Catholic Charities as we strive to bring food and non-perishables to Paterson on a monthly basis but this weekend, we consider the many ways in which Catholic Charities support the working poor.
Catholic Charities gives a roof over their heads to people who have nowhere to live and helps people who are addicted to try to get them back on track. They provide counseling and encouragement to people who often feel abandonment and hopelessness. Every priest is educated by the diocese and the young men training to be priests, seminarians study six to eight years depending upon their prior educational background. The price point is similar to the cost of a college education. At this point, we have twelve seminarians studying to be priests. We certainly remember and appreciate Fr. Alex whose complete education was paid for by the lay people of our diocese. I recently visited a Diocesan school, St. Gerard Magellan Church in Paterson. It was wonderful to see the children there, most of whom come from low-income families, are racially diverse and receive an education that allows them to use their gifts in this world. Most of these children live in impoverished cities and towns where sadly the public-school education is very weak. Let us all pray together so that we can individually and collectively do our part to support them.
This past week, we celebrated three weddings. On Friday, I did a convalidation (a sacramental wedding for a couple who were already married civilly in 1991). Peter and Johanna Acuria, who have raised five wonderful children, have returned to the Catholic church and have begun a beautiful sacramental life together. The wedding took place at St. Jude Church in Hardyston. Congratulations to Peter, Johanna, and family. I am so proud of you. On Friday, Fr. Richard and I celebrated the wedding of Karen Thomlinson, our parishioner to Stephen Smith who converted to the Catholic faith last year. Congratulations to Karen and Stephen Smith. I am so proud of you both. On Saturday, I celebrated the wedding of Alaina Dorlon and Paul Commarato at Our Lady of the Mountain Church. I am proud of Alaina and Paul, our parishioners as they begin their new life in and through the sacrament of marriage.
I hope you all enjoy Halloween and do remember Tuesday, November 1, is the Feast of All Saints. Mass is celebrated at 9 am and 7 pm and is a Holy Day of Obligation. On Wednesday, November 2, we celebrate All Souls. We remember our beloved dead. please join us for either 9 am Mass or 7 pm Mass of Light where we all together remember, give thanks to God for and offer our prayers for our beloved dead.
Fr. Owen