Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., gathered March 29 in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold, with 160 priests of the Diocese for the annual Chrism Mass. Before a livestream audience of deacons, religious and lay faithful, the Bishop led the priests in the renewal of their priestly commitment, and also blessed and consecrated the oils to be used for sacramental and other purposes in the parishes throughout the year.
For coverage of the Chrism Mass, click here.
To view the video of the Mass, click here.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bishop O’Connell is lending his voice to a new initiative from Catholic Charities Diocese of Trenton in the continued fight against COVID-19. The new effort is focused on delivering education, testing, contact tracing and vaccine support to underserved populations, including Latino, Black and immigrant communities.
Catholic Charities is collaborating with parishes across the Diocese of Trenton in conducting this program. Parish outreach is significant, said CCDOT executive director Marlene Lao-Collins, especially when it comes to reaching populations that are underserved in the context of COVID relief.
Bishop O’Connell has recorded a video message in which he emphasizes that, “The Catholic Church has deemed vaccine use morally permissible. Getting vaccinated, although not required, is in the interest of the common good.”
To watch the message from Bishop O’Connell click here.
For more information on the Catholic Charities program, click here.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The New Jersey Catholic Charismatic Conference will welcome Encounter Ministries to its annual conference, with a focus on encouraging Catholics to be more effective ministers of healing in the world.
The conference, which will be livestreamed, is scheduled for May 21-22 in St. Mary Mother of God Church, Middletown. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, tickets for in-person participation will be limited, so early registration is encouraged.
For more information click here.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In observance of the Easter holiday, the Chancery offices in Lawrenceville will be closed effective March 31 at 2 p.m. through Monday, April 5. Regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, April 6 at 9 a.m.
