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This year, 2019, Easter Sunday falls on April 21. That will not happen again until 2030. By all accounts, April 21 is one of the latest dates on which Easter can occur, the latest of which is April 25, which will not happen until 2038. While these are interesting facts from meteorological, practical and planning points of view, the actual date of Easter in the Western Church does not change what Easter means for the Catholic, for the Christian.

They say “life is a marathon, not a quick sprint.” I think that is true although the older you get, the faster the days seem to pass. The same could be said of the holy season of Lent: it is a marathon to Easter!

I am a great believer in the “both/and” rather than the “either/or” approach to life. And, so, for me Lent is a holy season of penance when I feel called, as a Catholic, by the very nature and purpose of Lent, to both “give up” and to “give” something.

Historically, religious orders developed in the Church, first because of some particular need that was not able to be met in the Church at the time and, second, because the vision and charism of some particular individuals were able to inspire others to come together and determine how to meet that need. And, so, religious orders, communities, congregations and societies were born!

In his column for The Monitor, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. remembers Bishop Emeritus John M. Smith

This past year, five of our Catholic schools in the Diocese of Trenton were awarded the coveted National Blue Ribbon School recognition by the United States Department of Education. That is an amazing accomplishment and a source of pride not only for the individual schools themselves – administrators, faculty, staff, volunteers, parish priests, students and families – but for all of us committed to Catholic education. Our Catholic schools have been regularly among those singled out for this recognition but to have five in one academic year is truly awesome!

I have said it before and I say it again. There is one thing we all have in common, my brothers and sisters. Regardless of our race or place of natural origin; regardless of our religion or absence of it; regardless of our age or status or station in life: God gave us the gift of life which our mothers carried until the day of our birth. We were allowed to live!

The Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in suburban Mexico City is the most visited Marian shrine in the world. Millions of people pass through the Basilica’s doors each year, especially as the December 12 feast day approaches.

I confess, I’m guilty. Once Thanksgiving is over my thoughts turn to Christmas. I put up my tree and decorate the house for that “most wonderful time of the year.” I pull out my Christmas CDs and watch all those great Christmas specials and movies on TV. All these preparations —-admitted secular —- put me in a happy frame of mind and give me a good feeling to welcome my favorite holiday. I don’t want to miss a minute!

A MESSAGE FROM BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL, C.M. ‘Open Wide Our Hearts’ Our Church must take the lead in eliminating racism “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” These words spoken by Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s classic American novel on race, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” have come to my mind frequently since first reading them in high school. As reasonable as they seem, they are not so easy to put into practice. They offer, however, a compelling and profoundly Christian suggestion for us all.

As we look to Thanksgiving, many of us will gather with our dear loved ones, and sometimes people we do not know, to celebrate God’s abundant blessings in our lives.

A message from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M. On May 12, 1962, General Douglas MacArthur returned to West Point to receive an honor from that venerable institution and to address the corps of cadets there.

This is “National Vocation Awareness Week,” a time that the Catholic Church in our country sets aside to promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life as a religious sister or brother through prayer and education. We are asked to encourage young people in particular to consider dedicating their lives to follow the Lord Jesus in a special way. But, in order to “consider,” to “dedicate,” to “follow” the Lord, you must first listen for his call.

A message from Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M. on All Saints Day and All Souls Day Many times during the course of the year, I visit the graves of my parents. I bring flowers or small plants to place there in loving memory as I pray for them. Birthdays, anniversaries and holidays bring me there, as well as other days with no particular significance. As memories flood my mind, I sometimes smile, and other times, shed a few tears. Their graves remind me how much I miss them and love them still. In faith, I know they are not “there” but their remains rest in that sacred place. I always feel a real “communion” with them.

A message from Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M., on the mass killing in a Pittsburgh synagogue

I have written before of my admiration for Pope Paul VI (1897-1978). With his recent canonization — one of only eight popes in the 2,000-year history of the Church — much attention has been given to him and his papal teachings. He was, of course, the pope who presided over the Second Ecumenical Vatican Council (1962-65). Many of the writings he authored both during and after Vatican II are considered “landmark” documents for the Church in the modern world. To me, one of the greatest legacies of his pontificate (1963-78) is the attention he devoted to the role of the laity in the Church. Unfortunately, the lay faithful have too often been simply described as the “non-ordained.” True, the laity do not share in the Sacrament of Holy Orders but their significance and place in the Church cannot be defined by a negative.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Annually, the next-to-last Sunday of October marks the Church’s Eucharistic celebration for the Missions, World Mission Sunday. In his message for this year’s celebration on October 21, Pope Francis explains that “life is a mission.” “Each one of us is called to reflect on this fact: ‘I am a mission on this Earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world’ (Evangelii Gaudium 273),” he writes. Focusing on young people, he notes: “In speaking to you, I also address all Christians who live out in the Church the adventure of their life as children of God.”

The expression “culture warrior” is used in contemporary conversation to describe people who fight for those causes that run counter to prevailing cultural values and preferences, chief among those causes, the protection of human life in all its stages, from conception to natural death. It is rarely spoken or written in a positive way. And, yet, those who are labeled “pro-life” are, indeed, engaged in a significant battle to convince their opponents and critics that, as Pope St. John Paul II affirmed, “When some lives, including the unborn, are subjected to the personal choices of others, no other value or right will long be guaranteed.”

On this past Thursday, the Attorney General of New Jersey, Gurbir Grewal, announced that he will establish a task force to investigate allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy in the five Dioceses of the State of New Jersey as well as any indications of cover-up by their bishops and leaders in the Catholic Church.

The Church that the Lord Jesus Christ asked to “go out to all the world and tell the good news (Mark 15:16)” has had its share of “not so good news” this summer. It will make the work of the catechist this particular year harder, for sure. But it is not a reason to stop catechizing. In fact, it makes catechesis even more urgent, more compelling, more necessary to follow the Lord’s command.