Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., issued messages for the special designations of Month of the Rosary and Respect Life Month. The messages can be found here.
The Sixteenth Ordinary Synod of Bishops will open Oct. 10, with a Mass celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica by Pope Francis. Every diocese throughout the world will initiate the diocesan phase of the Synod with a Mass celebrated by the diocesan bishop Oct. 17.
In the Diocese of Trenton, that Mass will be celebrated in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Trenton at 3 p.m. The Diocese will also use that occasion to commemorate its 140th Anniversary Year. All are invited to attend the Mass in-person or via livestream, which can be found at youtube.com/trentondiocese.
In this Month of the Rosary, the October issue of The Monitor Magazine explores some of the ways that this powerful form of prayer is a natural part of everyday life for so many of the faithful and how each of us can build the Rosary into our lives to great benefit. We also get to hear from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., about the special place that the Rosary has in his daily prayer life.
October is a particularly busy month in the Church, and the new issue keeps readers informed in several special sections:
Look for coverage of Respect Life Month, a time dedicated to the effort to protect the sanctity of all human life. The focus this year is St. Joseph as the Defender of Life, and we are called to recite a prayer to St. Joseph. In Bishop O’Connell’s message for Respect Life Month, he says, “The Church invites us all to consider every means at our disposal to advocate on behalf of every human life.
In the World Mission Sunday section, you will find the annual Mission message from Pope Francis and Bishop O’Connell, and a report from Father Peter J. Alindogan about the Diocese’s activities in support of the Missions.
In our schools, October is also the month when eighth grade students and their families are invited to visit Catholic high schools to decide which they may want to attend next year. We invite readers to check out the special High School Showcase in this issue.
The October print edition has been mailed to all PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS. Not yet a PREMIUM subscriber? Sign up today by clicking HERE, or writing to Monitor-Subscriptions@DioceseofTrenton.org.
Each November, during the month of All Souls, members of the diocesan diaconate community gather to remember all deacons of the Diocese who have died, especially those in the past year.
The Memorial Mass for 2021 will be celebrated Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. in St. James Church, 115 E. Delaware Ave., Pennington. Msgr. Thomas Mullelly, diocesan vicar of clergy and consecrated life, will serve as principal celebrant of the Mass.
The Diocese recently issued the following notice: We have been made aware of individuals formerly associated with the Roman Catholic Church who are now presenting themselves as “Catholic” priests and offering services and Sacraments to Catholics who are unaware of their illegitimate status. The Sacraments they attempt to offer are invalid, especially marriages. They frequently dress in a clerical collar or religious habit. Unless a person presenting himself as a Catholic priest has current faculties (authorization) from the bishop of one of the five dioceses in New Jersey, he cannot validly administer any Sacraments here or anywhere. Always ask if the priest “has faculties of the Diocese” before pursuing a Sacrament with him. Do not hesitate to contact the Diocese of Trenton, Office of Clergy (609-406-7400) with questions.
