September 9 is the feast of Jesuit priest and missionary St. Peter Claver (1581-1654) who traveled to Colombia where he ministered to slaves trafficked there from West Africa. He is the patron saint of interracial justice.  Along with Dioceses throughout our nation responding to the call of U.S. Bishops, please join me in prayer today[…]

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued the annual Labor Day statement on rebuilding after the devastation of the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus. Archbishop Coakley asked readers to examine their own purchasing choices, to ensure[…]

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., issued this appeal to his flock Sept. 1: Hurricane Laura has wreaked havoc in Louisiana and Texas, devastating families, and damaging and destroying homes and churches. Here in New Jersey we are quite familiar with such experiences. I invite you to consider contributing a gift to help rebuild and restore[…]

Then-Father O’Connell, 14th president of The Catholic University of America, welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to CUA campus on April 17, 2007. The weekend of Sept. 5-6 has been designated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for the annual national second collection taken for The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C. The[…]

When Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., made the difficult, but inevitable decision in late March that the churches would need to temporarily close because of the coronavirus pandemic, he knew that the shutdown would exact a profound toll on the parish communities, both spiritually and financially. While livestreamed Masses could be quickly arranged to provide[…]

I wish to express my deep personal gratitude to the faithful of the Diocese of Trenton for their characteristic generosity in contributing to the Diocese’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund during the past few months.  Although we continue to face the consequences of the pandemic and will for some time, the gradual but steady resumption of[…]

As guidance from public health authorities continues to be refined about the return in in-person learning during concerns of COVID-19, the Diocese’s Department of Catholic Schools has issued an updated and detailed list of requirements for diocesan and parish Catholic schools in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The requirement document was sent to principals[…]

JoAnn Tier may have retired from her role as diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, but the Diocese’s shepherd wanted to ensure that her dedication would not be forgotten.

For centuries, Catholics have turned to the Blessed Virgin Mary, asking for her intercession in times of need by praying the Rosary. This great prayer, whose origins date before the 12th century, uses a meditative repetition of prayers that invoke the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary as she leads us to consider the mysteries[…]