The Chicago Bears icon, who died on Friday, gave to charities, lectored at Mass, and belonged to the Knights of Columbus.
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians
3:22-29
Brothers and sisters:
Scripture confined all things under the power of sin,
that through faith in Jesus Christ
the promise might be given to those who believe.
Before faith came, we were held in custody under law,
confined for the faith that was to be revealed.
Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ,
that we might be justified by faith.
But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian.
For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ
have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free person,
there is not male and female;
for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants,
heirs according to the promise.
From the Gospel according to Luke
11:27-28
While Jesus was speaking,
a woman from the crowd called out and said to him,
“Blessed is the womb that carried you
and the breasts at which you nursed.”
He replied, “Rather, blessed are those
who hear the word of God and observe it.”
To listen to the Word of God and practise it, are the only two “conditions” established by Jesus for those who want to follow him. Christian life is “simple, simple”. Perhaps we have made it a bit difficult, with so many explanations that nobody understands, but the Christian life is like this: listening to the Word of God and practising it. (…)
Every time we open the Gospel and read a passage and ask ourselves: ‘Is God speaking to me with this, is he saying something to me’?. This means “to listen to the Word of God, to listen with the ears and listen with the heart, to open the heart to God’s Word”. On the other hand, “Jesus’ enemies listened to Jesus’ words but they were close by in order to try and find a mistake, to make him slip up” and make him lose authority. But they never asked themselves: ‘What is God telling me with these words’?. Moreover, the Pontiff added, “God does not speak only to all but he speaks to each one of us. The Gospel was written for each one of us. (…)
The Lord, “always plants his Word”, and in exchange “he asks only for an open heart to listen to it and good will to put it into practise. This is why today’s prayer is that of the Psalm: ‘Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands’, that is, on the path of your Word, so that, with your guidance, I may learn to practice it”. (Pope Francis, Santa Marta, 23 September 2014)
Read More| Picture of the day |
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The tower of the Cathedral of Saint Domnius (Split, Croatia) as seen from the Vestibule of Diocletian’s Palace.
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Fraudulent online romance, gambling, and cryptocurrency schemes have defrauded people in more than 125 countries, with Americans losing at least $18.2 billion in 2025, according to a new report.
Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes chose Father Eduardo Chávez because of his expertise concerning the “Guadalupan event.”
![Emaús Retreat at cathedral fosters deeper life of evangelization #Catholic – Linked arm-in-arm, hand-in-hand in sung prayer, believers filled the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist as alumni of a retreat experience that has connected thousands across the Paterson Diocese and throughout New Jersey.
Pilgrims who have experienced the powerful Emaús retreat celebrated Christ’s love at a Spanish-language Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on Sept. 25 at the cathedral.
Each of them has participated in the three-day, mainly Spanish-language experience, in which Deacon German Vargas from the cathedral has played a major part in infusing the life of faith in the diocese. He calls the “siblinghood” of Emaús a community of brothers and sisters who, after the retreat, encounter the presence, grace, love, and mercy of Christ and make the Catholic faith the center of their lives.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“The bishop affirmed that the movement of the Holy Spirit has gifted us the Emaús fellowship,” Deacon Vargas shared. “The bishop emphasized the need not to be afraid and to keep walking together, like the disciples of Emmaus, strengthened by the Word of God,” he said.
The retreat program has touched thousands of New Jerseyans. Its title comes from the story of the road to Emmaus as shared in Luke. In it, Christ draws near to two people taking that road without identifying himself until he breaks bread with them in a Eucharistic expression, following the pattern of the Last Supper.
“Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” the two men say about Jesus.
Emaús, a retreat program that began at a parish in 1978 at St. Louis Parish in Miami, came to St. Mary Help of Christians in Paterson, N.J., in 2017 and has spread to 10 parishes in the diocese.
“The idea was to make a retreat for people who didn’t have the chance to go to other retreats,” said Father Duberney Villamizar, pastor at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Morristown, N.J., who also helps facilitate Emaús.
Father Villamizar added, “There are some retreats that require some background for the people — a discernment retreat for those thinking about vocations or retreats for couples, married couples. There were other requirements at the time this Emmaus retreat started in Florida. The parish priest wanted to have a retreat for anybody, those who are in the pews, those who are just arriving in the church.”
Through Emaús, men and women hold separate retreats that become deeply personal encounters with the Lord.
“It grew organically here at the cathedral,” said Msgr. Geno Sylva, the rector of St. John’s and diocesan vicar for special projects. “After the retreat, I started seeing not only that the lives of people who went on the retreat converted and changed, but they became so faithful, not only with being here [on] Sunday, but getting involved in so many other areas of the cathedral’s life. It’s part of my vision for evangelization here at the cathedral,” he said.
Msgr. Sylva credits Deacon Vargas and Father Villamizar with helping expand the retreat, which has become a key outreach tool, inviting people into the faith who have not had that deeper encounter with Christ.
“I have a St. John Paul II, Pope Francis, and Benedict XIV [approach] to New Evangelization. It has to be about going beyond the walls to inviting people to a larger communion and to Sunday Mass,” Msgr. Sylva said.
That invitation often comes from Emaús alums who also help make the retreat happen.
“It started forming what we call now the brotherhoods and the sisterhoods in the different parishes,” Father Villamizar said. “Those who leave the retreat already are the ones who prepare a new retreat and invite new people,” he said.
Those alumni also create regular follow-up opportunities for others who have gone on the retreat to continue the spiritual growth in community with others who know the power of the experience.
“They meet biweekly after the retreat,” Msgr. Sylva said, “and you have to make the retreat to be at those meetings because there’s a real focus on trust and confidentiality at that level of faith sharing.”
Leaders are launching a school with Emaús alums to form disciples who can support the New Evangelization. They aim to bring the fire for Christ that was launched when the Lord approached a pair of people who didn’t initially recognize him — the kind that changes hearts so passionately that they come together on a Friday night for a Mass that fills a cathedral.
“Just like the disciples of Emmaus,” said Deacon Vargas, “we must ask the Lord to stay with us, in our hearts and in our families.”
Click here to find more on Emaús in New Jersey.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/emaus-retreat-at-cathedral-fosters-deeper-life-of-evangelization-catholic-linked-arm-in-arm-hand-in-hand-in-sung-prayer-believers-filled-the-cathedral-of-st-john-the-baptist-as-alumni-of-a-retre.jpg "Emaús Retreat at cathedral fosters deeper life of evangelization #Catholic – Linked arm-in-arm, hand-in-hand in sung prayer, believers filled the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist as alumni of a retreat experience that has connected thousands across the Paterson Diocese and throughout New Jersey.
Pilgrims who have experienced the powerful Emaús retreat celebrated Christ’s love at a Spanish-language Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on Sept. 25 at the cathedral.
Each of them has participated in the three-day, mainly Spanish-language experience, in which Deacon German Vargas from the cathedral has played a major part in infusing the life of faith in the diocese. He calls the “siblinghood” of Emaús a community of brothers and sisters who, after the retreat, encounter the presence, grace, love, and mercy of Christ and make the Catholic faith the center of their lives.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“The bishop affirmed that the movement of the Holy Spirit has gifted us the Emaús fellowship,” Deacon Vargas shared. “The bishop emphasized the need not to be afraid and to keep walking together, like the disciples of Emmaus, strengthened by the Word of God,” he said.
The retreat program has touched thousands of New Jerseyans. Its title comes from the story of the road to Emmaus as shared in Luke. In it, Christ draws near to two people taking that road without identifying himself until he breaks bread with them in a Eucharistic expression, following the pattern of the Last Supper.
“Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” the two men say about Jesus.
Emaús, a retreat program that began at a parish in 1978 at St. Louis Parish in Miami, came to St. Mary Help of Christians in Paterson, N.J., in 2017 and has spread to 10 parishes in the diocese.
“The idea was to make a retreat for people who didn’t have the chance to go to other retreats,” said Father Duberney Villamizar, pastor at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Morristown, N.J., who also helps facilitate Emaús.
Father Villamizar added, “There are some retreats that require some background for the people — a discernment retreat for those thinking about vocations or retreats for couples, married couples. There were other requirements at the time this Emmaus retreat started in Florida. The parish priest wanted to have a retreat for anybody, those who are in the pews, those who are just arriving in the church.”
Through Emaús, men and women hold separate retreats that become deeply personal encounters with the Lord.
“It grew organically here at the cathedral,” said Msgr. Geno Sylva, the rector of St. John’s and diocesan vicar for special projects. “After the retreat, I started seeing not only that the lives of people who went on the retreat converted and changed, but they became so faithful, not only with being here [on] Sunday, but getting involved in so many other areas of the cathedral’s life. It’s part of my vision for evangelization here at the cathedral,” he said.
Msgr. Sylva credits Deacon Vargas and Father Villamizar with helping expand the retreat, which has become a key outreach tool, inviting people into the faith who have not had that deeper encounter with Christ.
“I have a St. John Paul II, Pope Francis, and Benedict XIV [approach] to New Evangelization. It has to be about going beyond the walls to inviting people to a larger communion and to Sunday Mass,” Msgr. Sylva said.
That invitation often comes from Emaús alums who also help make the retreat happen.
“It started forming what we call now the brotherhoods and the sisterhoods in the different parishes,” Father Villamizar said. “Those who leave the retreat already are the ones who prepare a new retreat and invite new people,” he said.
Those alumni also create regular follow-up opportunities for others who have gone on the retreat to continue the spiritual growth in community with others who know the power of the experience.
“They meet biweekly after the retreat,” Msgr. Sylva said, “and you have to make the retreat to be at those meetings because there’s a real focus on trust and confidentiality at that level of faith sharing.”
Leaders are launching a school with Emaús alums to form disciples who can support the New Evangelization. They aim to bring the fire for Christ that was launched when the Lord approached a pair of people who didn’t initially recognize him — the kind that changes hearts so passionately that they come together on a Friday night for a Mass that fills a cathedral.
“Just like the disciples of Emmaus,” said Deacon Vargas, “we must ask the Lord to stay with us, in our hearts and in our families.”
Click here to find more on Emaús in New Jersey.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
Emaús Retreat at cathedral fosters deeper life of evangelization #Catholic – 
Linked arm-in-arm, hand-in-hand in sung prayer, believers filled the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist as alumni of a retreat experience that has connected thousands across the Paterson Diocese and throughout New Jersey.
Pilgrims who have experienced the powerful Emaús retreat celebrated Christ’s love at a Spanish-language Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on Sept. 25 at the cathedral.
Each of them has participated in the three-day, mainly Spanish-language experience, in which Deacon German Vargas from the cathedral has played a major part in infusing the life of faith in the diocese. He calls the “siblinghood” of Emaús a community of brothers and sisters who, after the retreat, encounter the presence, grace, love, and mercy of Christ and make the Catholic faith the center of their lives.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“The bishop affirmed that the movement of the Holy Spirit has gifted us the Emaús fellowship,” Deacon Vargas shared. “The bishop emphasized the need not to be afraid and to keep walking together, like the disciples of Emmaus, strengthened by the Word of God,” he said.
The retreat program has touched thousands of New Jerseyans. Its title comes from the story of the road to Emmaus as shared in Luke. In it, Christ draws near to two people taking that road without identifying himself until he breaks bread with them in a Eucharistic expression, following the pattern of the Last Supper.
“Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” the two men say about Jesus.
Emaús, a retreat program that began at a parish in 1978 at St. Louis Parish in Miami, came to St. Mary Help of Christians in Paterson, N.J., in 2017 and has spread to 10 parishes in the diocese.
“The idea was to make a retreat for people who didn’t have the chance to go to other retreats,” said Father Duberney Villamizar, pastor at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Morristown, N.J., who also helps facilitate Emaús.
Father Villamizar added, “There are some retreats that require some background for the people — a discernment retreat for those thinking about vocations or retreats for couples, married couples. There were other requirements at the time this Emmaus retreat started in Florida. The parish priest wanted to have a retreat for anybody, those who are in the pews, those who are just arriving in the church.”
Through Emaús, men and women hold separate retreats that become deeply personal encounters with the Lord.
“It grew organically here at the cathedral,” said Msgr. Geno Sylva, the rector of St. John’s and diocesan vicar for special projects. “After the retreat, I started seeing not only that the lives of people who went on the retreat converted and changed, but they became so faithful, not only with being here [on] Sunday, but getting involved in so many other areas of the cathedral’s life. It’s part of my vision for evangelization here at the cathedral,” he said.
Msgr. Sylva credits Deacon Vargas and Father Villamizar with helping expand the retreat, which has become a key outreach tool, inviting people into the faith who have not had that deeper encounter with Christ.
“I have a St. John Paul II, Pope Francis, and Benedict XIV [approach] to New Evangelization. It has to be about going beyond the walls to inviting people to a larger communion and to Sunday Mass,” Msgr. Sylva said.
That invitation often comes from Emaús alums who also help make the retreat happen.
“It started forming what we call now the brotherhoods and the sisterhoods in the different parishes,” Father Villamizar said. “Those who leave the retreat already are the ones who prepare a new retreat and invite new people,” he said.
Those alumni also create regular follow-up opportunities for others who have gone on the retreat to continue the spiritual growth in community with others who know the power of the experience.
“They meet biweekly after the retreat,” Msgr. Sylva said, “and you have to make the retreat to be at those meetings because there’s a real focus on trust and confidentiality at that level of faith sharing.”
Leaders are launching a school with Emaús alums to form disciples who can support the New Evangelization. They aim to bring the fire for Christ that was launched when the Lord approached a pair of people who didn’t initially recognize him — the kind that changes hearts so passionately that they come together on a Friday night for a Mass that fills a cathedral.
“Just like the disciples of Emmaus,” said Deacon Vargas, “we must ask the Lord to stay with us, in our hearts and in our families.”
Click here to find more on Emaús in New Jersey.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– Linked arm-in-arm, hand-in-hand in sung prayer, believers filled the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist as alumni of a retreat experience that has connected thousands across the Paterson Diocese and throughout New Jersey. Pilgrims who have experienced the powerful Emaús retreat celebrated Christ’s love at a Spanish-language Mass with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney on Sept. 25 at the cathedral. Each of them has participated in the three-day, mainly Spanish-language experience, in which Deacon German Vargas from the cathedral has played a major part in infusing the life of faith in the diocese. He calls the “siblinghood” of Emaús a community
Obituary: Franciscan Father Bernard ‘Bernie’ Creighton, 86 #Catholic – 
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Butler, N.J., for Franciscan Father Bernard “Bernie” Creighton, who died Oct. 7. He was 86.
For more than 60 years, Father Creighton devoted his life to service, education, and pastoral ministry. He spent decades supporting the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, N.Y., an international center for research, publishing, and academia dedicated to studying the Franciscan intellectual tradition, history, and theology.
Father Creighton was born on Dec. 7, 1939, to Stanley and Helen Creighton (née Palizay). He was an only child, and his family ran a milk processing and delivery business in Elmira, N.Y.
The future Franciscan Friar attended Catholic grade school and high school in Elmira, N.Y. In 1961, he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from St. Bonaventure University, where he met the friars who inspired his vocation.
As a senior, Father Creighton was chosen to receive the 1961 Mark Hellinger Award, an annual recognition from St. Bonaventure University’s Jandoli School of Communication that honors outstanding academic achievement in journalism. However, Fr. Bernie declined the award for “up-and-coming journalists” because God was calling him to religious life.
Then, in 1991, Father Creighton received the honor he had earned as a college student three decades earlier.
At age 23, Father Creighton entered the Franciscan Order, professing first vows in 1963 and solemn vows in 1966. He was ordained a priest in 1967.
Father Creighton became a trusted source of knowledge about the history and traditions of the Franciscan community after serving from 1968 to 1972 as editor of the Provincial Annals, an archival periodical published by the legacy Holy Name Province.
From 1994 to 2026, Father Creighton served as vicar of the St. Anthony Friary in Butler, N.J., where he faithfully handled the daily needs of the friary community.
Father Creighton is remembered for being approachable, detailed, humble, knowledgeable, and deeply dedicated to others. He embraced the Franciscan ideals of simplicity, hospitality and service, believing that the best part of ministry was working with the people of God and helping them to live in the spirit of the Lord.
Father Creighton is survived by his friar brothers of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe; his cousins, Catherine Creighton Saal (Frank), Eugene Creighton (Patricia), James Creighton, Debbie Creighton, Tom Gilmore, Marilyn Lilly (Bill), James Ripley (Marilyn); and a cousin by marriage, Nancy Levanduski.
Visitation for Father Creighton will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15at 9:30 a.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Butler, N.J., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. in the church.
A Memorial Mass will be held on Monday, Oct. 19, at 11 a.m. at St. Bonaventure University Chapel in St. Bonaventure, N.Y. Burial will follow at St. Bonaventure Cemetery.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
– A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Butler, N.J., for Franciscan Father Bernard “Bernie” Creighton, who died Oct. 7. He was 86. For more than 60 years, Father Creighton devoted his life to service, education, and pastoral ministry. He spent decades supporting the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, N.Y., an international center for research, publishing, and academia dedicated to studying the Franciscan intellectual tradition, history, and theology. Father Creighton was born on Dec. 7, 1939, to Stanley and Helen Creighton (née
![In Morristown, Bishop offers hope to fearful migrants, refugees #Catholic – On Sept. 27, many Hispanic Catholics joined Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who celebrated a Spanish Mass for the 112th World Day for Migrants and Refugees at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Morristown, N.J. During the liturgy, the bishop offered Latino Catholics hope at a time when many of them are in fear of being targeted by law enforcement in the current immigration crisis or mistreated because of their ethnicity.
“The message is [to] know that whatever is going on, you are not alone, and the Church is here for you,” Father Duberney Villamizar, the pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland, said.
The Mass was filled with praiseful songs, assisted by dozens of altar servers, and concelebrated by many priests. Bishop Sweeney and the other clergy shared a bilingual message of solidarity and symbolism with the pilgrimage to heaven.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“We’re blessed to live in a community, an immigrant community here in Morristown,” said Bishop Sweeney in English during the mostly Spanish Mass.
“As members of the Church, we’re all migrants; we’re all peregrinos [pilgrims] in pilgrimage together, hopefully one day to God, to the life of Heaven. Pope Leo invited us all to be part of this 112th World Day for Migrants and Refugees. We pray for migrants and refugees in a special way during this Mass,” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney said that while the Church respects the law, every person is a child of God and deserves treatment that reflects that human dignity.
Bishop Sweeney’s message of “you are not alone” reflects the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Justice for Immigrants Initiative. It offers Church resources for emergency support, solidarity in public witness and prayer, and pastoral support for immigrants and those suffering during the current crisis.
The Mass at St. Margaret’s was part of a week planned by the USCCB dedicated to immigrants and refugees in the U.S. St. Margaret of Scotland Parish held an additional rosary this week.
“It’s something that we have been trying to do in the last almost two years [with] everything that is going on in the country,” Father Villamizar said.
Father Villamizar estimates that about 800 people came to Sunday’s Mass, which happened just five days after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted activity in the Morristown.
“People are afraid to even go to church,” Father Villamizar said. “People are really concerned, not because we are doing anything wrong.”
Father Villamizar even shared his own concern, as he is an immigrant from Colombia who took the proper steps to become an American citizen.
“What if I just work without my wallet, or I don’t have any proof that I am an American citizen? They can detain me until I prove that I am here doing good things,’ Father Villamizar said.
In this climate, the Mass celebrated on Sunday at his church helps people enduring such fear recognize the human sanctity they have, which cannot be taken away from them, and gives them the courage to endure while living their lives, Father Villamizar said.
“There is a dignity that comes only from God,” Father Villamizar said.
“The suffering is real. So many people try to keep going on with their lives, with their businesses, with whatever they are doing, making this place a better place with everything they are, with everything they are giving,” Father Villamizar said.
Father Villamizar said the message on Sept. 27 will remain true for everyone who feels the anxiety of the current age and culture surrounding Latinos: that the Catholic Church may not be able to fix every issue, but that Christ and his Church will be here to accompany them every step, no matter what happens.
“We are not promising to solve everyone’s problems, but at least you know that you are not by yourself,” Father Villamizar said. “Somebody cares about you, somebody wants to be with you, somebody wants to be in this experience with you,” he said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/in-morristown-bishop-offers-hope-to-fearful-migrants-refugees-catholic-on-sept-27-many-hispanic-catholics-joined-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-who-celebrated-a-spanish-mass-for-the-112th-world-day-f.jpg "In Morristown, Bishop offers hope to fearful migrants, refugees #Catholic – On Sept. 27, many Hispanic Catholics joined Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who celebrated a Spanish Mass for the 112th World Day for Migrants and Refugees at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Morristown, N.J. During the liturgy, the bishop offered Latino Catholics hope at a time when many of them are in fear of being targeted by law enforcement in the current immigration crisis or mistreated because of their ethnicity.
“The message is [to] know that whatever is going on, you are not alone, and the Church is here for you,” Father Duberney Villamizar, the pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland, said.
The Mass was filled with praiseful songs, assisted by dozens of altar servers, and concelebrated by many priests. Bishop Sweeney and the other clergy shared a bilingual message of solidarity and symbolism with the pilgrimage to heaven.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“We’re blessed to live in a community, an immigrant community here in Morristown,” said Bishop Sweeney in English during the mostly Spanish Mass.
“As members of the Church, we’re all migrants; we’re all peregrinos [pilgrims] in pilgrimage together, hopefully one day to God, to the life of Heaven. Pope Leo invited us all to be part of this 112th World Day for Migrants and Refugees. We pray for migrants and refugees in a special way during this Mass,” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney said that while the Church respects the law, every person is a child of God and deserves treatment that reflects that human dignity.
Bishop Sweeney’s message of “you are not alone” reflects the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Justice for Immigrants Initiative. It offers Church resources for emergency support, solidarity in public witness and prayer, and pastoral support for immigrants and those suffering during the current crisis.
The Mass at St. Margaret’s was part of a week planned by the USCCB dedicated to immigrants and refugees in the U.S. St. Margaret of Scotland Parish held an additional rosary this week.
“It’s something that we have been trying to do in the last almost two years [with] everything that is going on in the country,” Father Villamizar said.
Father Villamizar estimates that about 800 people came to Sunday’s Mass, which happened just five days after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted activity in the Morristown.
“People are afraid to even go to church,” Father Villamizar said. “People are really concerned, not because we are doing anything wrong.”
Father Villamizar even shared his own concern, as he is an immigrant from Colombia who took the proper steps to become an American citizen.
“What if I just work without my wallet, or I don’t have any proof that I am an American citizen? They can detain me until I prove that I am here doing good things,’ Father Villamizar said.
In this climate, the Mass celebrated on Sunday at his church helps people enduring such fear recognize the human sanctity they have, which cannot be taken away from them, and gives them the courage to endure while living their lives, Father Villamizar said.
“There is a dignity that comes only from God,” Father Villamizar said.
“The suffering is real. So many people try to keep going on with their lives, with their businesses, with whatever they are doing, making this place a better place with everything they are, with everything they are giving,” Father Villamizar said.
Father Villamizar said the message on Sept. 27 will remain true for everyone who feels the anxiety of the current age and culture surrounding Latinos: that the Catholic Church may not be able to fix every issue, but that Christ and his Church will be here to accompany them every step, no matter what happens.
“We are not promising to solve everyone’s problems, but at least you know that you are not by yourself,” Father Villamizar said. “Somebody cares about you, somebody wants to be with you, somebody wants to be in this experience with you,” he said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]")
In Morristown, Bishop offers hope to fearful migrants, refugees #Catholic – 
On Sept. 27, many Hispanic Catholics joined Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who celebrated a Spanish Mass for the 112th World Day for Migrants and Refugees at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Morristown, N.J. During the liturgy, the bishop offered Latino Catholics hope at a time when many of them are in fear of being targeted by law enforcement in the current immigration crisis or mistreated because of their ethnicity.
“The message is [to] know that whatever is going on, you are not alone, and the Church is here for you,” Father Duberney Villamizar, the pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland, said.
The Mass was filled with praiseful songs, assisted by dozens of altar servers, and concelebrated by many priests. Bishop Sweeney and the other clergy shared a bilingual message of solidarity and symbolism with the pilgrimage to heaven.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“We’re blessed to live in a community, an immigrant community here in Morristown,” said Bishop Sweeney in English during the mostly Spanish Mass.
“As members of the Church, we’re all migrants; we’re all peregrinos [pilgrims] in pilgrimage together, hopefully one day to God, to the life of Heaven. Pope Leo invited us all to be part of this 112th World Day for Migrants and Refugees. We pray for migrants and refugees in a special way during this Mass,” Bishop Sweeney said.
Bishop Sweeney said that while the Church respects the law, every person is a child of God and deserves treatment that reflects that human dignity.
Bishop Sweeney’s message of “you are not alone” reflects the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Justice for Immigrants Initiative. It offers Church resources for emergency support, solidarity in public witness and prayer, and pastoral support for immigrants and those suffering during the current crisis.
The Mass at St. Margaret’s was part of a week planned by the USCCB dedicated to immigrants and refugees in the U.S. St. Margaret of Scotland Parish held an additional rosary this week.
“It’s something that we have been trying to do in the last almost two years [with] everything that is going on in the country,” Father Villamizar said.
Father Villamizar estimates that about 800 people came to Sunday’s Mass, which happened just five days after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted activity in the Morristown.
“People are afraid to even go to church,” Father Villamizar said. “People are really concerned, not because we are doing anything wrong.”
Father Villamizar even shared his own concern, as he is an immigrant from Colombia who took the proper steps to become an American citizen.
“What if I just work without my wallet, or I don’t have any proof that I am an American citizen? They can detain me until I prove that I am here doing good things,’ Father Villamizar said.
In this climate, the Mass celebrated on Sunday at his church helps people enduring such fear recognize the human sanctity they have, which cannot be taken away from them, and gives them the courage to endure while living their lives, Father Villamizar said.
“There is a dignity that comes only from God,” Father Villamizar said.
“The suffering is real. So many people try to keep going on with their lives, with their businesses, with whatever they are doing, making this place a better place with everything they are, with everything they are giving,” Father Villamizar said.
Father Villamizar said the message on Sept. 27 will remain true for everyone who feels the anxiety of the current age and culture surrounding Latinos: that the Catholic Church may not be able to fix every issue, but that Christ and his Church will be here to accompany them every step, no matter what happens.
“We are not promising to solve everyone’s problems, but at least you know that you are not by yourself,” Father Villamizar said. “Somebody cares about you, somebody wants to be with you, somebody wants to be in this experience with you,” he said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
– On Sept. 27, many Hispanic Catholics joined Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who celebrated a Spanish Mass for the 112th World Day for Migrants and Refugees at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Morristown, N.J. During the liturgy, the bishop offered Latino Catholics hope at a time when many of them are in fear of being targeted by law enforcement in the current immigration crisis or mistreated because of their ethnicity. “The message is [to] know that whatever is going on, you are not alone, and the Church is here for you,” Father Duberney Villamizar, the pastor of St. Margaret of
NASA has selected a mission proposal that will peer below a volcanic pit on the Moon to find out whether it opens onto a hidden lava tube — a geologic formation long theorized, but never confirmed on the Moon. The proposal will send a mission to the Marius Hills Pit, a large hole — approximatelyContinue reading “Newly selected NASA mission will hunt for caves on the Moon”
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Read More![U.S. Catholic bishops condemn ‘barbaric’ plan to livestream military execution – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) condemned Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s announcement that the military execution of the Fort Hood mass shooter, Nidal Hasan, will be livestreamed for the public to view.“It is with shock and great sorrow that I have learned of the Department of War’s decision to publicly livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan,” Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, said in a statement on Oct. 9.“Our God is the God of life,” he said. “In no way can Hasan’s actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered.”Coakley quoted Romans 12:17, which commands: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.”“The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people,” the archbishop said. “I pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel that we as a nation may always choose life even in the most trying times and circumstances.”Hasan, a man from Arlington, Virginia, was convicted of murdering 13 people and injuring 32 others in a mass shooting at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2009, while working as a psychiatrist for the Army. Public witnesses said he screamed “Allahu Akbar” immediately before he began firing. He had email communications with Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born al-Qaeda recruiter.On Oct. 2, President Donald Trump approved a military execution via firing squad for Hasan, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood. On Oct. 8, Hegseth said in an interview with the news outlet Real Americaʼs Voice that the execution will be livestreamed and later reaffirmed this plan on social media.The announcement of the execution and livestream also faced criticism from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Archbishop Timothy Broglio reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s opposition to the death penalty in a statement to EWTN News.“Catholic teaching about the death penalty is clear,” Broglio said. “Already the Catechism of the Catholic Church, even before its revision by the late Pope Francis, indicated that in a country such as the United States where the means exist to protect society from such criminals, the death penalty was inadmissible.”The archbishop said that now, “the teaching is even clearer and more universal” and cited CCC 2267: “Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,’ and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.”Broglio added: “Even in the case of the most heinous crimes, the Church begs for clemency.”‘A grotesque display of hatred’The Catholic Mobilizing Network, which works closely with the USCCB on efforts to oppose the death penalty, condemned both the decision to execute Hasan and the decision to livestream his death.“Beyond the fact that executions do not deter crime or increase safety, it’s appalling that a public official would try to introduce it as a livestream arcade,” Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, said in a statement.“It’s been almost a century since our country’s last public execution, and we must not fall into the abyss of such a vengeful practice,” she said. “We undermine our own humanity when we treat another person’s death as something to watch, celebrate, or use for entertainment. It is [reminiscent] of the horrors of lynching in our nation’s past, and would be a grotesque display of hatred witnessed in the public executions of some authoritarian countries today.”Murphy quoted a Sept. 28 address from Pope Leo XIV, in which he said “the greatness of a civilization is not measured by its material achievements, but by the way it cares for, protects, and upholds the human person.”She warned that “we violate human dignity” with every execution “because every person is created in the image of God.” She said “the Church instructs us to not seek cruel retribution, but a justice that holds people accountable without perpetuating the cycle of death.”“What Mr. Hasan did at Fort Hood in 2009 ought not be condoned in any way,” she said. “He inflicted horrible pain and caused terrifying trauma. … But we must not be blinded by bloodlust. The macabre spectacle proposed by Secretary Hegseth is not what our Lord asks of us—it will neither honor victims nor bring healing.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/u-s-catholic-bishops-condemn-barbaric-plan-to-livestream-military-execution-catholic-the-u-s-conference-of-catholic-bishops-usccb-condemned-secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth.jpg "U.S. Catholic bishops condemn ‘barbaric’ plan to livestream military execution – #Catholic – The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) condemned Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s announcement that the military execution of the Fort Hood mass shooter, Nidal Hasan, will be livestreamed for the public to view.“It is with shock and great sorrow that I have learned of the Department of War’s decision to publicly livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan,” Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, said in a statement on Oct. 9.“Our God is the God of life,” he said. “In no way can Hasan’s actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered.”Coakley quoted Romans 12:17, which commands: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.”“The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people,” the archbishop said. “I pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel that we as a nation may always choose life even in the most trying times and circumstances.”Hasan, a man from Arlington, Virginia, was convicted of murdering 13 people and injuring 32 others in a mass shooting at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2009, while working as a psychiatrist for the Army. Public witnesses said he screamed “Allahu Akbar” immediately before he began firing. He had email communications with Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born al-Qaeda recruiter.On Oct. 2, President Donald Trump approved a military execution via firing squad for Hasan, which is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood. On Oct. 8, Hegseth said in an interview with the news outlet Real Americaʼs Voice that the execution will be livestreamed and later reaffirmed this plan on social media.The announcement of the execution and livestream also faced criticism from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Archbishop Timothy Broglio reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s opposition to the death penalty in a statement to EWTN News.“Catholic teaching about the death penalty is clear,” Broglio said. “Already the Catechism of the Catholic Church, even before its revision by the late Pope Francis, indicated that in a country such as the United States where the means exist to protect society from such criminals, the death penalty was inadmissible.”The archbishop said that now, “the teaching is even clearer and more universal” and cited CCC 2267: “Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,’ and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.”Broglio added: “Even in the case of the most heinous crimes, the Church begs for clemency.”‘A grotesque display of hatred’The Catholic Mobilizing Network, which works closely with the USCCB on efforts to oppose the death penalty, condemned both the decision to execute Hasan and the decision to livestream his death.“Beyond the fact that executions do not deter crime or increase safety, it’s appalling that a public official would try to introduce it as a livestream arcade,” Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, said in a statement.“It’s been almost a century since our country’s last public execution, and we must not fall into the abyss of such a vengeful practice,” she said. “We undermine our own humanity when we treat another person’s death as something to watch, celebrate, or use for entertainment. It is [reminiscent] of the horrors of lynching in our nation’s past, and would be a grotesque display of hatred witnessed in the public executions of some authoritarian countries today.”Murphy quoted a Sept. 28 address from Pope Leo XIV, in which he said “the greatness of a civilization is not measured by its material achievements, but by the way it cares for, protects, and upholds the human person.”She warned that “we violate human dignity” with every execution “because every person is created in the image of God.” She said “the Church instructs us to not seek cruel retribution, but a justice that holds people accountable without perpetuating the cycle of death.”“What Mr. Hasan did at Fort Hood in 2009 ought not be condoned in any way,” she said. “He inflicted horrible pain and caused terrifying trauma. … But we must not be blinded by bloodlust. The macabre spectacle proposed by Secretary Hegseth is not what our Lord asks of us—it will neither honor victims nor bring healing.”")
The decision to livestream the execution of Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan faced strong criticism from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.
