Newark NJ, this month, the universal Catholic Church will begin its Jubilee Year 2025, a yearlong journey of spiritual renewal intended for the faithful to become “Pilgrims of Hope” in the face of global strife. To commemorate this moment locally, the Archdiocese of Newark will hold an Opening Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, on Sunday, Dec. 29, at 12 p.m. in Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
Montclair NJ, an exhibit featuring over 100 sacred relics of Jesus Christ; the Holy Family; and numerous saints, martyrs, and blesseds will be on display at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Oratory in Montclair on Saturday, February 24, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Ridgewood NJ, almost a record… but not quite! Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church youth group open center had 103 teenagers! It might be a record for the highest number of teens this early in a school year.
The record to beat is 127, dating back to February 2018. If things continue as they are, I think we will break the record this program year!
Newark NJ, with the Catholic Church celebrating its World Day for Migrants and Refugees on Sunday, September 24, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops honoring its National Migration Week in the days leading up to it (September 18-24), the Archdiocese of Newark wishes to highlight its own work assisting the many migrants and refugees living in New Jersey amidst the ongoing immigration crisis.
Jersey City NJ, The Archdiocese of Newark’s Respect Life Office will open a second location of The Mercy House — its resource and referral center that provides a wide variety of assistance to all in need — at 20 Greenville Avenue in Jersey City on Monday, December 5, at 11 a.m.
Newark NJ, the Mercy House, a resource and referral center operated by the Archdiocese of Newark’s Respect Life Office, will distribute approximately 200 free turkeys to families in need during its Fifth Annual Thanksgiving Giveaway on Tuesday, November 22, at 11 a.m.
Newark NJ, the Archdiocese of Newark announced the release of its Synod on Synodality Synthesis Report, which captures the feedback and voices of more than 15,000 people across northern New Jersey, who convened online and at gatherings in parishes, schools, religious congregations, and more since January 2022. The effort is the local phase of Pope Francis’ two-year Synod on Synodality, a global initiative to discern how the Catholic Church can better engage with today’s faith communities. The report, which is publicly available on the Archdiocese of Newark’s website, was submitted in June to the United States Catholic Bishops Conference for inclusion in a national synthesis process before a consolidated U.S. report is submitted to the Vatican for the October 2023 Synod of Bishops in Rome.
Newark NJ, five relics and a life-sized statue of St. Pio, the first priest in the Catholic Church’s history to bear the stigmata wounds of Christ’s crucifixion, will be on public display at Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart this September as part of the Saint Pio Foundation’s ongoing “I Embrace You” Tour of the U.S.
Newark Nj, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R, Archbishop of Newark, has issued a statement in response to the decision of the United States Supreme Court decision to overturn the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
In supporting the decision, Cardinal Tobin stated, “The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred, from conception to natural death” and he voiced the Church’s opposition to “the many threats to human life and dignity evident in contemporary society.”
Cardinal Tobin acknowledged that this is a deeply controversial ruling, stating, “We recognize that a significant number of our fellow citizens are angered by this decision of our nation’s highest Court,” and calling for an ongoing respectful dialogue between Americans.
Newark NJ, The Archdiocese of Newark will honor women and men who are committed to consecrated or religious life during its 25th annual Consecrated Life Mass on Saturday, February 5, at 11 a.m. in Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin greets a young parishioner on his way out of Newark’s Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart on October 17 following the Archdiocese’s Opening Mass for the Church’s global Synod.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Newark NJ, The Archdiocese of Newark joined dioceses throughout the world in celebrating a special Opening Mass on October 17 to launch “Synod 2021-2023: For a Synodal Church,” a two-year re-examination of the way the Catholic Church is listening to and walking with its parishioners.
Newark NJ, The Office for Youth & Young Adult Ministry of the Archdiocese of Newark recently launched its new “Days in the Diocese” program, which offers one-day service immersion experiences to archdiocesan teens throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties.
Ridgewood NJ, Parents and all adults who work with youth have an opportunity to talk with and walk with young people to connect faith and life. Youth today are making big decisions about their lives, who to be with, where they are going, and how they will prepare for their future.
Young people in our parishes need someone to accompany them; they need faith companions. Parents of adolescents deserve support and tools for making the faith connection . As Jesus walked with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we can accompany youth, listen to their questions, witness to faith, lead them to encounter Jesus, and empower them for mission. Join us for this workshop to share the skills we can use to help our young people build on their faith as they journey through life.
First guilty plea secured by Attorney General’s Clergy Abuse Task Force
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Phillipsburg NJ, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey announced that a Roman Catholic priest was sentenced to prison today for sexually assaulting a teenage girl in the early 1990s. He is the first defendant to be charged and convicted by the Clergy Abuse Task Force formed by Attorney General Grewal in September 2018.
Father Thomas P. Ganley, 64, of Phillipsburg, N.J., was sentenced to four years in state prison by Superior Court Judge Diane Pincus in Middlesex County. He pleaded guilty on April 8 to second-degree sexual assault. In pleading guilty, he admitted that he engaged in sexual acts with the victim when she was 16 or 17 years old, at a time when he had supervisory authority over her. Ganley was a priest at Saint Cecelia Church in the Iselin section of Woodbridge when the criminal acts occurred and had supervisory authority over the victim as head of the Youth Ministry for the parish.
Ridgewood NJ, in recent comments, Pope Francis said he is concerned about what he calls a “hemorrhage” of priests and nuns from the Catholic church. For decades, the Catholic church in many developed countries has seen the number of priests and nuns on the decline.
The pope on Saturday told participants at a Vatican gathering on religious life that the loss of clergy is weakening the church.
Pope Francis said that first among the factors causing nuns and priests to quit their vocations is a society that discourages lifelong commitments. Francis later lamented that many conduct their lives based on “a la carte” choices.
