Night of solidarity and hope for our immigrant brothers and sisters held #Catholic – 
The community of Our Lady of Fatima & St Nicholas Church in Passaic experienced a deeply moving evening during the Night of Solidarity and Hope for Our Immigrant Brothers and Sisters on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The celebration brought together parishioners, community leaders, and several priests from the Diocese of Paterson for a moment of prayer, gratitude, and commitment to justice.
The Holy Mass was celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, and the homily was given by Father Gary Graf, who is currently undertaking an extraordinary pilgrimage on foot from Chicago to New York—thousands of steps under sun and rain—in support of immigrant rights and human dignity.
At the beginning of the celebration, Bishop Sweeney reminded the faithful that we are “two days before Thanksgiving, asking for blessings, peace, and justice for our country, the United States.”
He warmly welcomed Father Graf, highlighting that “he has been walking for seven weeks from Chicago to Passaic and will continue on to the Statue of Liberty in solidarity with the immigrant community, raising his voice with love and peace but also asking for justice, for respect for every human being; we are all children of God.”
The bishop also expressed gratitude to Father Rolands Uribe, the pastor of the church, and the priests present, including Father Duberney Villamizar, vicar for Hispanic Affairs, and Father Yojaneider García, director of the Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation, who extended the invitation to Father Graf to share this special evening.
Father Graf began by highlighting “the good relationship Bishop Kevin has with his priests,” which he described as a beautiful example for the entire diocese.
He then spoke about the richness of cultural heritage: “Many years ago, our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents built the incredible churches and cathedrals.”
He also focused on the present, emphasizing that young people are an essential part of the future of our communities.
With great humility, he shared: “I walk very little compared to all that you have walked, from so many countries (including the priests), leaving land and family.”
He encouraged everyone to keep their identity alive: “Keep alive our culture, heritage.”
Father Graf expressed deep affection for priests, saying, “No one is loved more than a priest. The world esteems us, loves us, receives us.”
And he offered a heartfelt message to his brother priests: “Fall in love with your people, because the priest who does not fall in love with his people… what poverty, what sadness!”
Referring to his long journey, he added, “Walking 50 days is nothing.”
Father Graf shared how this pilgrimage has been both a human and spiritual experience. “Along the way, I have met so many people of goodwill who love immigrants very much, because they know they were immigrants, or their parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were. Sometimes one forgets, and so it was very important for me to stand up and express that truth and tell that truth.”
He added that this truth is not often heard in Washington: “We are not hearing from Washington that we are an immigrant people; it is a blessing.”
He reflected on the roads he has traveled—“the highways of Indianapolis, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey”—and asked: “Who built those roads, those buildings, if not immigrants?”
With conviction, he said: “We are a nation of immigrants, we are so proud of our heritage, and that’s what I came to celebrate with all of you… and remind ourselves that the greatest sin is the sin of forgetfulness, when we forget where we came from — and we lost.”
With affection, he encouraged everyone to honor the sacrifices of their families: “It is our responsibility to work hard like our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, and [honor] the sacrifices they made every step of the way from their countries.”
To the teenagers present, he offered a simple but profound task: “When you get home tonight, thank your parents and grandparents and ask them what was their story, their sacrifices.”
At the end of the celebration, Father Villamizar offered thanks to the communities of Passaic, Morris, and Sussex County and shared an exciting announcement: as a result of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan for the Hispanic Community, one of the priorities identified was the need for a Pastoral Migratoria program.
He joyfully announced that, after months of dialogue with the Chicago Pastoral Migratoria, the Diocese of Paterson is ready to begin this important work, and that Miguel Rodríguez will serve as the liaison with the Archdiocese of Chicago.
“Little by little, we will begin planting this pastoral ministry in the parishes of our diocese,” he said.
Finally, Father Graf spoke with great emotion about Our Lady of Guadalupe, reminding everyone that she accompanies us in our identity and in our faith. He emphasized that she “invites us, allows us to see ourselves as sons and daughters of that great Mother of ours here on our continent.”
The evening ended with this comforting truth: under the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we walk together as one people—loved, guided, and sustained by God.
PHOTOS | JESSICA MARTINEZ
– The community of Our Lady of Fatima & St Nicholas Church in Passaic experienced a deeply moving evening during the Night of Solidarity and Hope for Our Immigrant Brothers and Sisters on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The celebration brought together parishioners, community leaders, and several priests from the Diocese of Paterson for a moment of prayer, gratitude, and commitment to justice. The Holy Mass was celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, and the homily was given by Father Gary Graf, who is currently undertaking an extraordinary pilgrimage on foot from Chicago to New York—thousands of steps under sun and rain—in support
Read More
![Obituary: Father Edward M. Davey, oldest diocesan priest, 100 #Catholic - A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountain Church in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township for Father Edward M. Davey, the oldest priest of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey, who died on Jan. 4 at Merry Heart Senior Care Services in the Succasunna neighborhood of Roxbury Township. He turned 100 years old on Oct. 4, 2025.
Born on Oct. 4, 1925, Father Davey was ordained a priest on April 22, 1953, by Archbishop Thomas Boland for St. Mary’s Benedictine Abbey in Morristown, N.J. He was incardinated into the Paterson Diocese on June 8, 1973.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
For the Paterson Diocese, Father Davey’s assignments included Our Lady of Consolation Parish and Our Lady of the Valley Parish, both in Wayne, N.J., and Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in the Cedar Knolls neighborhood of Hanover Township, N.J. In 1980, he was named pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Newton, N.J., where he served for 19 years until his retirement in 1999.
“I’m surprised I made it to 100. I never really thought about it. I take what comes along,” Father Davey, who was hard of hearing and was unable to drive, when he spoke to BeaconNJ.org for a story about his 100th birthday, which was posted on Oct. 4 last year. “I’m still here to do the work [of a priest]. I’m limited, of course.”
Father Davey credited his longevity not to his diet, family history, or the exercise he did as a younger man, but to the daytime naps he took and to a practice that sustained him throughout his priesthood: constant prayer.
“Prayer is the answer to most people’s problems. I’m successful because of prayer,” said Father Davey, who served as a priest for 72 years. “I pray for people and encourage them to pray, but I don’t tell them what to pray for.”
Along with praying, Father Davey enjoyed concelebrating Mass on Sundays and Wednesdays for the Merry Heart community with Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Dominic Marconi of the Newark Archdiocese in New Jersey, and fellow retired resident priests. He was also a fan of the N.Y. Yankees.
“I was inspired to become a priest by my parish priest. I thought a lot of him. He could work with young people. I thought that was great work,” Father Davey said.
Visitation for Father Davey will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 7, from 2 to 4 p.m., at Our Lady of the Mountain Church, followed by a 4 p.m. prayer service. Interment will follow the Mass of Christian Burial on Jan. 8 at St. Joseph Cemetery in Newton.
Please send condolences for Father Davey to the attention of the Office of Clergy Personnel, c/o St. Paul Inside the Walls, 205 Madison Ave., Madison, N.J. 07940
Click here to read the BeaconNJ.org story about Father Davey’s 100th birthday.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/obituary-father-edward-m-davey-oldest-diocesan-priest-100-catholic-a-mass-of-christian-burial-will-be-held-on-thursday-jan-8-at-11-a-m-at-our-lady-of-the-mountain-church-in-the-long-valley.jpg)
![Hope abounds at diocesan Closing Jubilee Mass in Paterson #Catholic - On Dec. 28, the Feast of the Holy Family, Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney closed Jubilee of Hope 2025 observances in the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey during a Mass he celebrated at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., the mother church of the diocese. On behalf of the diocese’s 400,000 faithful, the bishop prayed that the graces God bestowed during the Jubilee year “transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel as pilgrims of hope.”
That Sunday afternoon, the faithful came from all corners of the diocese to fill the cathedral, uniting in gratitude to God during the Jubilee Year of Hope Closing Mass, the final diocesan event in observance of the Jubilee Year, which the Universal Church is celebrating. Originally declared by the late Pope Francis, the Jubilee year was designated as a time for Catholics to have a personal encounter with Jesus and be renewed as Pilgrims of Hope.
The bishop was the principal celebrant and homilist of the liturgy, with many priests from the diocese concelebrating and deacons and seminarians assisting. At the Mass, the faithful had the opportunity to receive a Jubilee plenary indulgence, the complete remission of temporal punishment for forgiven sins for oneself or deceased loved ones. Pope Leo XIV, Pope Francis’ successor, will close the Jubilee for the Universal Church on Jan. 6 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
At the start of the Mass, Bishop Sweeney declared, “We rejoice and give thanks, together with Pope Leo and the whole Church, now, and come bring to a close this great Jubilee of Hope.”
“As a diocese, we have offered our praise and thanksgiving and supplications to our God, in union with those who are voiceless in the world —the sick, the aged, the prisoners, and the poor,” Bishop Sweeney said in his greeting. “Through the Jubilee indulgence, the Lord has caused a river of grace and blessing to flow. He has granted us all his hope and his peace. He has strengthened hands that are weak, made firm the feeble knees. He has said to each of us, ‘Take courage; do not be afraid,’” he said.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
After the Mass, Aura Monasterio of St. Paul Parish in Prospect Park, N.J., told BeaconNJ.org that the Jubilee inspired her to pray more often. She and her family pray before meals, before going to bed and waking, and in front of a shrine in their residence. Monasterio also attended a local Jubilee pilgrimage.
“I’m closer to God and more connected to the [Catholic] community,” said Monasterio, an immigrant from Guatemala and a catechist at St. Paul’s. “I cried at Christmas Mass this year. It felt more special. I feel God more in my heart and home.”
The Mass began with a short procession featuring representatives from many of the diocese’s 107 parishes, agencies, and communities, each carrying a banner for their parish or group. The Prayer of the Faithful was prayed in seven languages to highlight the diocese’s cultural diversity.
In his homily, Bishop Sweeney asked the faithful to recall memories of the Jubilee, such as receiving the plenary indulgence or attending any of the five local pilgrimages to designated churches in the diocese for the holy year. The diocese held 26 events to help the faithful experience deeper hope and unity as one Church and to receive God’s grace, including a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi, Italy, led by Bishop Sweeney in the fall.
Looking ahead, Bishop Sweeney suggested local faithful take inspiration from Mary and Joseph of the Holy Family to “prayerfully listen and discern how the Holy Spirit is calling us to be this wonderful local church of our diocese of Paterson.”
With the words “Spes No Confundit” — Latin for “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5), the late Pope Francis declared a Jubilee Year of Hope for 2025 with a Bull of Indiction on May 9, 2024, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The pope rang in the holy year by opening the holy doors at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome last Christmas Eve. Bishop Sweeney opened the holy year at the cathedral on Dec. 29 last year, the feast of the Holy Family.
During the closing Mass, Bishop Sweeney thanked Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious, and Brian Honsberger, formerly of St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J., who worked with seven committees to coordinate the diocese’s Jubilee observances. The bishop also thanked the clergy, religious, laity, parishes, schools, and diocesan agencies that helped with Jubilee events.
Again looking toward the future for the diocese, Bishop Sweeney said in his homily that Pope Leo might have given the Church some direction when he delivered his first address to the papal curia, Church leaders in Rome, on the Monday before Christmas. The pope asked them to reflect on two aspects of the Church: mission — the call to be “missionary disciples” and “witnesses to the Gospel”— and evangelization — to be a “joyful Church, welcoming to all and attentive to the poorest,” Bishop Sweeney said.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/hope-abounds-at-diocesan-closing-jubilee-mass-in-paterson-catholic-on-dec-28-the-feast-of-the-holy-family-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-closed-jubilee-of-hope-2025-observances-in-the-paterson-diocese.jpg)
![Bethlehem in Paterson brings Christmas spirit to people in need #Catholic - The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., had almost 200 volunteers — the largest number so far —to help spread Christmas cheer far and wide to those in need during one of its most beloved outreaches: the extraordinary annual Bethlehem in Paterson Christmas charity event, held this year on Dec. 21.
A Winter Wonderland was established on an adjoining street to St. John’s. There, Santa’s helpers distributed an abundance of toys, new winter jackets, hats, gloves, and scarves to local people in need. The guests, who included upwards of 1,700 children, also visited Santa and enjoyed tasty treats. This year, the event had something new: Mary and Joseph handing each child a piece of swaddling cloth with the words, “Please bring this back to my son on Christmas.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Bethlehem in Paterson was blessed with a visit from Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, who walked around greeting people with Msgr. Geno Sylva, St. John’s rector and diocesan vicar for special projects.
The legion of supporters and volunteers included the cathedral’s Knights of Columbus Council 7254, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, the Paterson Police and Fire Departments, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, the New York division of the FBI, and Knights of Columbus from other councils. Many local parishes contributed toys or monetary donations.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/bethlehem-in-paterson-brings-christmas-spirit-to-people-in-need-catholic-the-cathedral-of-st-john-the-baptist-in-paterson-n-j-had-almost-200-volunteers-the-largest-number-so-far.jpg)
![Nativity gives world hope, says bishop during Mendham Advent reflection #Catholic - On Dec. 17 at St. Joseph Parish in Mendham, N.J., Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney gave an Advent reflection about the nativity as a gift of light for our world in need of hope as the Paterson Diocese and the Universal Church prepare for the closing of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 on Sunday, Dec. 28. The bishop was the main celebrant of a Mass that evening at St. Joseph’s.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Bishop Sweeney will celebrate the closing Mass of the diocesan Jubilee of Hope on Sunday, Dec. 28, the Feast of the Holy Family, at 3 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/nativity-gives-world-hope-says-bishop-during-mendham-advent-reflection-catholic-on-dec-17-at-st-joseph-parish-in-mendham-n-j-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-gave-an-advent-reflection-about-the-nativi.jpg)
![Centering Prayer in Denville draws people closer to God #Catholic - For Patrice McKenzie, a lector and extraordinary minister of the Eucharist at St. Mary’s Parish in Denville, N.J., it became, in her words, “a force in my life.”
McKenzie, leader of St. Mary’s Centering Prayer Groups, said the practice of Centering Prayer “gives space between me and the chaos. That was what I finally understood about what is so important to me — that I just can receive things more spaciously than I could before.”
McKenzie said, “There was another group that was starting that was ecumenical that was going to do Centering Prayer for Advent. And I was a long-time meditator. I meditated for 40 years before I found Centering Prayer, so I thought, ‘I will give it a try.’”
She did so and was so moved that, when the group was going to stop after Advent, McKenzie became its convener and still attends its meetings.
A few months later, McKenzie told Father Martin Glynn, St. Mary’s pastor, how much it was changing her life. He suggested bringing it to their parish, where it has found a home since September 2021.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Centering Prayer was founded in the early 1970s by three Trappist monks at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Mass., in response to the Second Vatican Council’s request to revive early contemplative teachings and present them in contemporary form. Centering Prayer is based on Jesus’s wisdom continuation in the Sermon on the Mount that says, “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will repay you.” (Mt 6:6).
The Centering Prayer Groups at St. Mary’s have a three-step process: a check-in, a 10- to 15-minute instruction and reflective reading, and a 20-minute practice of silent Centering Prayer, concluding with the recitation of The Lord’s Prayer and departure.
Father Glynn said of Centering Prayer, “One of the things that really stands out to me, and especially today, is the old expression that says, ‘Silence is golden.’ And silence is really missing in our society today. People are so busy with everything, and there is always noise in the background. And I think that prayer just demands quiet. It takes people a while to get into it, but when they do, I think they really appreciate just being quiet in God’s presence.”
At St. Mary’s, the Centering Prayer Groups meet on Thursday at 11 a.m. in person in the parish Trustee Room and at 7 p.m. in person as well as on Zoom.
Joe Immitt, a St. Mary’s extraordinary minister of the Eucharist, usually joins the Thursday morning group.
“Centering Prayer is different. I think of it as moving towards his Godliness, but at the same time receiving his reach — his hand out to me — as I learn who he really is,” Immitt said. “I have never felt closer to God than when I am in a Centering Prayer group. The feeling just grows, and you just kind of want to continue more and more to get as close [to God] as you possibly can.”](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/centering-prayer-in-denville-draws-people-closer-to-god-catholic-for-patrice-mckenzie-a-lector-and-extraordinary-minister-of-the-eucharist-at-st-marys-parish-in-denville-n-j-it-became.jpg)
![Diocese sends love in packages to Alaska missionary priest #Catholic - In late November, a Christmas care package arrived for Father Kamil Kiszka, a missionary priest serving two years in a remote region of southwest Alaska — just in time to warm his heart for the holidays.
Much to Father Kiszka’s delight, the 45-pound parcel felt like a warm hug from the faithful of his home, the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey. The package traveled roughly 3,300 miles to the brutal winter chill of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, where the priest ministers to small, remote Eskimo villages near the coast.
The Christmas care package for Father Kiszka was assembled and mailed by St. Virgil Parish in Morris Plains, N.J., in the Paterson Diocese, in an effort led by Father Lukasz Wnuk, the parish’s administrator. It included a Christmas card and holiday treats, including ones from his native Poland. The package also contained items on Father Kiszka’s Wish List, such as dried fruits and nuts, rosaries, prayer cards, religious medals, and books to help children prepare for First Holy Communion. Fifty St. Virgil’s confirmation students and their families conducted an early November supply drive.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
In a way, it has been Christmas once a month for Father Kiszka, who has been receiving care packages from diocesan parishes, schools, and agencies — mainly involving youth — for him and his flock since July. Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious, launched the mission drive with John Cammarata, director of Youth Ministry for the diocese and St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany, N.J.
“I appreciate all the items that benefit me, but more importantly, my people,” Father Kiszka, who started his full-time missionary work in Alaska last year and expected to return to Paterson next July. “I thank Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, Sister Theresa, John, and the people of the diocese for supporting my ministry — difficult but fulfilling evangelization work in remote areas of Alaska.”
In addition, the Chancery Office, with Bishop Sweeney and other parishes, schools, and religious communities of the diocese, is offering Masses and prayers at Father Kiszka’s request. He asks for God’s providence, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and good health, as well as “mental, emotional, and spiritual support.” All Saints Academy in Parsippany, N.J., and the Franciscans at St. Mary’s Parish in Pompton Lakes, N.J., are among these participants.
St. Michael Parish in Netcong, N.J., Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Sparta, N.J., and the Department for Persons with Disabilities, a part of diocesan Catholic Charities, have also participated in the mission drive so far.
For St. Virgil’s, helping Father Kiszka is personal. Father Kiszka stayed at the Morris County parish with Father Wnuk, a friend and fellow member of the 2018 ordination class, when he was back in the diocese for three weeks.
“We wanted to help support him practically with food, snacks, and special treats that are hard for him to find, especially at Christmas time,” Father Wnuk said. “It was also important to us to find small ways to help be part of his mission. It was eye-opening for people to learn what reality is like for Catholics living in Alaska. While we can drive easily to at least five Catholic churches in our area, they can go weeks or even months without seeing a priest. So, we included things that allow the faith to stay with them,” Father Wnuk said.
Father Kiszka’s work takes courage because he ministers in a challenging environment, visiting remote villages of 200 to 750 people, often far apart. He travels by snowmobile, boat, and four-wheel vehicle, sometimes in sub-zero temperatures. He often lacks access to running water, showers, restrooms, phone service, the Internet, transportation, or food supplies.
To reach the remote village of Mertarvik, Father Kiszka takes three planes and sleeps on the floor in the local school to celebrate Mass for parishioners the next day. He said he enjoys hearing confessions in Yugtun, the native language of the Yupik Indigenous or Aboriginal people, and singing the “Our Father” in Yugtun during Mass. Father Kiszka plans to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Kotlik and then fly to Mertarvik.
“I love it. I am very excited to be here and to practice my missionary vocation,” Father Kiszka said in a Feb. 12 story about him on BeaconNJ.org. “It is a bit of an intense lifestyle. The people here live very simply and in a primitive way. But it is an incredible experience to see a different dimension of the Catholic Church and to learn different ways of pastoral ministry in the priesthood.”
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/diocese-sends-love-in-packages-to-alaska-missionary-priest-catholic-in-late-november-a-christmas-care-package-arrived-for-father-kamil-kiszka-a-missionary-priest-serving-two-years-in-a-remote-reg.jpg)
![Paterson Firefighters host Christmas dinner to honor late ‘guardian angel’ religious sister #Catholic - Members of the Paterson Fire Department held their annual home-cooked Christmas dinner on Dec. 2 at fire headquarters in memory of Sister of Charity Loretta Weingart and in honor of all living religious.
Sister Weingart was like a “mother-chaplain” to the firefighters of Paterson. She served what is now known as St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson. She kept vigil over injured or ill firefighters and their families as a “guardian angel.” In the 1990s, the firefighters started a dinner in her honor — an event that grew in attendance. Since her death in 2002, the department has held an annual Christmas dinner for religious, including her community, the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, and clergy.
At the dinner, religious offered a reciprocal “thank you” to the firefighters as front-line workers every day.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was present to greet everyone and give the meal blessing. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh also attended the dinner.
The Bishop said, “Thank you to the Paterson Fire Department for hosting the 33rd annual Christmas Dinner for religious sisters and brothers, priests, seminarians, and postulants. What a great meal, a great crowd, and a great night. Thanks also to the faculty, students, and alumni from DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, Mayor Andre Sayegh, family members of the firefighters, and retired firefighters for helping us all feel the Christmas spirit.”
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/paterson-firefighters-host-christmas-dinner-to-honor-late-guardian-angel-religious-sister-catholic-members-of-the-paterson-fire-department-held-their-annual-home-cooked-christmas.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/TAL-idaho-northern-lights-SECRETNRTHLIGHTSPT1025-268c7ed4d2bd447cb18eb990f16ed5a2.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/TAL-ski-lift-vail-colorado-VAILLIFTDISCNT1225-927959100a534b919d5638fbeb6d9a78.jpg)
![Florham Park Catholic helps coordinate law school’s first Eucharistic procession #Catholic - Before Nov. 23, no one at Ave Maria Law School in Naples, Fla., a Catholic institution, had ever seen such a glorious sight: an outdoor Eucharistic procession of 100 young students crossing the campus and praying behind the Blessed Sacrament carried under an embroidered canopy.
On that sunny day, Ave Maria Law’s first-ever Eucharistic procession graced Catholic men and women on campus with the opportunity to gather in prayer for the Feast of Christ the King. The event started with Mass and concluded with Benediction. Michael Ippolito, a law student there and parishioner of Holy Family in Florham Park, N.J., proposed the idea and helped organize and participated in the procession.
Ippolito, 24, is part of a growing movement of young U.S. Catholics deepening their commitment in strong faith communities. A Harvard University Cooperative Election Study showed a jump in Gen Z Americans identifying as Catholic, from 15 percent in 2022 to 21 percent in 2023, with young men leading the trend. Ippolito’s faith has blossomed into evangelization — bringing Christ into the world — as an active community member and writer.
Ippolito said he was “honored” to take part in the procession, helping students celebrate and reclaim their Catholic heritage in public.
“It was a moving experience that allowed Christ to be brought to the depths of the law school. The moment captured the essence of the law school’s mission of Fides et Ratio [Faith and Reason]. I hope that the law school will continue this tradition, and continue in its mission of forming great lawyers and Catholic disciples,” said Ippolito, in his second year of law school with a concentration in Natural Law.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Raised in a devout family, Ippolito began his faith journey in earnest in his teens, when “God was an afterthought,” and grew through several milestones. While a student at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, N.J., he encountered Christ in theology classes and at a men’s retreat, where he spent “intimate time” with him in prayer and worship, and was inspired by the testimonies of students and teachers.
“I learned that Jesus loved me and how to bring my faith into the world. It was a ‘Come to God moment’ for me,” Ippolito said.
Later, Ippolito found a community of fellow young Catholics serious about their faith as a student of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He experienced a deeper conversion attending the Traditional Latin Mass in a faith that remains constant.
“In our generation, nothing is stable. We are told lies about careers and relationships, including non-marital sex. People wrongly say, ‘God is a loving God, so I don’t have to change,’” said Ippolito, who was in the Knights of Columbus at Catholic University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in politics with minors in history and theology in 2023. “In college, I began questioning, ‘Am I living life the way God wants me to live?’”
At Ave Maria Law, Ippolito belongs to the Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, and St. Thomas More Society. He suggested the procession to Father David Pignato, the school’s chaplain. The priest said he “supports the Catholic revival at Ave Maria Law.”
Ippolito also has written about history and contemporary politics from a Catholic perspective for publications such as Crisis Magazine and The Daily Signal to get his opinion “out into the larger conversation.”
Growing up, Ippolito attended weekly Mass at Holy Family with his family: his father, Tobi, an internist; his mother, Anne, a master’s degree candidate in systematic theology at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J.; his brother, Tony, 27, a medical student; and his sister, Jessica, 23, a college student. Tobi is studying for the permanent diaconate of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey and anticipates being ordained next year.
“I’m inspired by the fact that my dad has taken up the duty to serve the Church. His diaconate studies have been a gift. As a family, we are now all closer to our faith,” Ippolito said.
Follow Ippolito on @mikeipps and Substack@michaeljippolito](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/florham-park-catholic-helps-coordinate-law-schools-first-eucharistic-procession-catholic-before-nov-23-no-one-at-ave-maria-law-school-in-naples-fla-a-catholic-institution-had-ever-se.jpg)
![A dream realized: 6 years after the fire, Straight and Narrow dedicates new state-of-the-art building #Catholic - Blessing and ribbon-cutting of drug and alcohol rehab honors longtime leader of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Paterson
“We will rebuild.” That’s what Msgr. Herbert Tillyer said to Scott Milliken, CEO of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Paterson, on Aug. 19, 2019, after a six-alarm fire had destroyed the main building of the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, Straight and Narrow. The two had been in the Paterson Fire Department’s command center mobile trailer all day with Angela Nikolovski, executive director of Straight and Narrow. They were assured by officials that everyone had escaped safely, and thanks to the American Red Cross and St. Joseph’s Hospital, clients had been cared for and relocated.
Milliken shared the story on Dec. 8 as over 200 community leaders, lawmakers, volunteers, and supporters gathered for a blessing and ribbon-cutting of the new state-of-the-art facility, fittingly named the Monsignor Herbert K. Tillyer, P.A. Rehabilitation Center in honor of the former chairman of the board of Straight and Narrow and longtime leader of Catholic Charities organizations. With Msgr. Tillyer’s vision and wisdom, said Milliken, they have rebuilt the premier, best building they could for rehabilitation.
Nikolovski, executive director of the comprehensive social service nonprofit, said the grand opening is a testament to what can be achieved when people work together on a shared vision. “We have transformed our vision into a reality and reimagined what recovery and treatment can look like in our community.” This will allow Straight and Narrow to expand, she said, reaching and serving more individuals and families, providing “innovative, compassionate care in a space designed for healing.”
The $30 million project, a 50,000 square-foot facility, features a 50-bed halfway house for men, a state-of-the-art food-service dining and commercial kitchen to serve approximately 3,000 meals a day, men’s and women’s clinical and outpatient services, pastoral care, and administrative offices. The building is located next door to other Straight and Narrow buildings, not affected by the fire. Straight and Narrow also offers a Mommy and Me program, a Wellness Center featuring a CrossFit trainer, and Gymboree for clients’ children. Plans are underway to develop a halfway house for women, including women with children, and renovations are underway for the medical adult daycare center.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“I have always said that working in Passaic County as a leader is a special network of people,” said Milliken. The dream was realized because of many generous, skilled individuals, said Milliken as he thanked NK Architects, Natoli Construction, the Catholic Charities Board of Trustees led by Father Martin Glynn, the Catholic Charities team, lawmakers including Congresswoman Nellie Pou and State Sen. Benjie Wimberly who helped secure New Jersey State budget funding, Paterson mayor André Sayegh, Passaic mayor Hector Lora, Ron Jampel, a volunteer, who guided them through the New Market Tax credit procedure, New Jersey Capital, AFLI-CII Housing Investment Trust and Valley Bank. The agency also received support from the Diocese of Paterson’s Diocesan Ministries Appeal, $1.6 million from the American Rescue Plan through the City of Paterson for an HIV program, and a grant from the Moglia Foundation to build a Wellness Center.
Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, attended the event and shared how she was delighted to receive a letter from Pope Leo XIV in October at their annual convention. One line from the Holy Father’s message touched her heart: “Through your 168 Diocesan Catholic Charities agencies, you become agents of hope for the millions of people who approach the Church in the United States of America seeking compassion and care.” Robinson said, “The men and women of Catholic Charities Diocese of Paterson are the very agents of hope about whom the pope wrote. Indeed, the Monsignor Herbert Tillyer Rehabilitation Center is a beautiful living testament to the fact that hope cannot be extinguished.”
Msgr. Tillyer led the gathered in a prayer expressing gratitude and joy to God. “We rededicate ourselves to the saving mission of providing life-saving help to every person who will be served in this new rehabilitation center. Doing this faithfully and well under your guidance, dear Lord, will enable us to create genuine hope in the hearts and the minds of our precious clients and their families… we humbly and confidently ask you Lord for your guiding hand in every therapeutic intervention, in all the work that will take place here for many years and decades to come, even into the next century.”
The Diocese of Paterson’s Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney said the project has been an example of great teamwork and the good that can happen when community leaders work together. “We are all God’s children, and we believe as Christians that God calls us to see the presence of God in each and every person, especially our brothers and sisters who are most in need.” Pointing out that they were holding the event on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and that the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe was to be celebrated on Dec. 12, the Bishop led the blessing, praying that Our Lord through the intercession of Mary, St. Joseph and all the angels and saints would bless the new facility and “all those who have made it possible, all those who will come to work here, to serve and to receive the gifts of healing and hope.”
Milliken encouraged guests touring the space to look at the quality of the craftsmanship guided by Natoli Construction and “made in America by our local unions.”
Many who worked on and supported the project were delighted to be in attendance.
“These types of projects make work amazing. You come here, and you feel the impact, and you know that you are making a difference,” said Harpreet Peleg, CEO of Building America and chief financial officer of the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust.
“It’s a really exciting day. To rebuild this…and see how beautiful it is and how many lives it is going to change; it’s extremely rewarding,” said Tom Kelly, president, Passaic Central Labor Council.
“For decades, Straight and Narrow has offered a lifeline to men and women struggling with substance use and addiction, said Congresswoman Nellie Pou. “It restores dignity, rebuilds families, and renews hope before despair can take root. Every day, the staff and volunteers here carry out the Gospel’s call to lift our neighbors up, offering compassion and clinical excellence in equal measure. With the opening of this new center, that mission continues, stronger and broader but imbued with the same unwavering commitment to the inherent worth of every man and woman.”
“We are here to celebrate a city of second chances, and a center that will give people a second chance … this is a building of mercy,” said Paterson Mayor André Sayegh.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/a-dream-realized-6-years-after-the-fire-straight-and-narrow-dedicates-new-state-of-the-art-building-catholic-blessing-and-ribbon-cutting-of-drug-and-alcohol-rehab-honors-longtime-leader-of-cathol.jpg)
![Prayers honor immigrants at Clifton’s Noche De Las Velitas #Catholic - On Dec. 7, almost 100 faithful of the Paterson Diocese prayed the Glorious Mysteries of the rosary in English and Spanish for the immigrant community facing difficult times during the diocese’s annual “Noche de las Velitas” (“Night of the Candles”), held on the grounds of Holy Face Monastery in Clifton, N.J. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney participated in the event, a Latin-American tradition that honors the Immaculate Conception.
Adults and families with children from parishes of the diocese joined the bishop and the Benedictine monks who run Holy Face for an outdoor evening candlelight procession on monastery grounds. The faithful prayed the rosary and sang traditional songs to the Blessed Virgin Mary while a few participants recited reflections. The diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry organized the event.
Maria Moncaleano, director of Hispanic Ministry, said, “On this second Sunday of Advent, we heard in the Gospel how John the Baptist cries out in the desert against unfairness and injustice. It may seem unusual, but part of preparing for the birth of Jesus means pointing out what is wrong and unfair in the places where we live. That is how we can begin to create the communities of kindness, love and justice that Jesus desires.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Moncaleano continued, “In these days of Advent, let us especially reach out to migrants and refugees who also are greeted with responses of ‘there is no room’ as Joseph and Mary encountered. May we demonstrate the love that we have for Jesus to create a better world where all people feel welcome.”
The Night of the Candles dates back to Dec. 7, 1854, when Pope Pius IX published his apostolic constitution “Ineffabilis Deus,” which defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. People in Colombia lit candles and paper lanterns in celebration of the announcement. It is an annual tradition that Colombians and other Latin-American countries have observed ever since.
Moncaleano thanked the Benedictine monks for their hospitality and the many volunteers who helped her decorate the pathway for the procession. She especially thanked Father Yohan Serrano, chaplain for Hispanic Ministry, for his presence and support.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/prayers-honor-immigrants-at-cliftons-noche-de-las-velitas-catholic-on-dec-7-almost-100-faithful-of-the-paterson-diocese-prayed-the-glorious-mysteries-of-the-rosary-in-english-and-spanish.jpg)
![Rockaway parish continues 150-year legacy of faith, holiness #Catholic - On Nov. 22, St. Cecilia Parish in Rockaway, N.J., rejoiced in recalling its 150-year legacy of faith, service, community, and as an “incubator for vocations,” foremost among them the late Bishop Frank J. Rodimer, the sixth bishop of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey.
During an anniversary Mass that afternoon, worshippers who filled the church also celebrated the current faith community — a population with young people and families strengthening St. Cecilia’s rich legacy of religious devotion, holiness, and spirituality. The Mass was held on the feast of the parish’s patron, St. Cecilia.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the principal celebrant and homilist of the Mass. Concelebrating the liturgy were Father Zig Peplowski, pastor of St. Cecilia’s for the past 16 years; Father Mateusz Darlak, the parish’s parochial vicar; Msgr. John Hart, pastor of Assumption Parish in Morristown, N.J., and a former pastor of St. Cecilia’s, and many priests who had been associated with the parish under Father Peplowski’s leadership.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
“St. Cecilia’s is a beautiful parish. Parishioners continually amaze me with their holiness,” said Father Peplowski. He said families of the parish, “an incubator for vocations,” have so far helped produce seven priests, eight religious sisters, and a religious brother. “The parish has strong Mass attendance. The people find holiness in their embrace of the sacraments, including penance, which restores their faith and commitment to Christ the Savior,” he said.
During the Nov. 22 Mass, Bishop Sweeney blessed a new wooden statue of St. Cecilia for the church, made in Italy and made possible by an anonymous donor.
The Morris County Parish also stays youthful with its school, Divine Mercy Academy (DMA). St. Cecilia School opened in 1958 and closed in 2016, when it merged with Sacred Heart of Jesus School, also in Rockway, to form DMA, which is located on the former St. Cecilia School site.
St. Cecilia’s lives out Christian service with food and coat drives and support to local organizations and diocesan Catholic Charities. The parish offers religious education for children and adults and hosts devotional activities, such as a Padre Pio Prayer Group.
St. Mary Parish in Dover, N.J., established a mission in Rockaway and built a church on Academy Street in 1869. After 1875, chaplains of St. Francis Health Resort in Denville, N.J., provided services. In 1881, St. Cecilia’s mission was advanced to parish status. In 1896, the church was moved to a new site on Church Street. A new church was built in 1955.
The Nov. 22 Mass concluded a yearlong series of 150th anniversary events, including an opening Mass last year with Bishop Emeritus Arthur J. Serratelli, a mission, and a talk about St. Cecilia’s history by Msgr. Raymond Kupke, diocesan archivist; a 40-hour Eucharistic devotion; and the parish’s first-ever carnival.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/rockaway-parish-continues-150-year-legacy-of-faith-holiness-catholic-on-nov-22-st-cecilia-parish-in-rockaway-n-j-rejoiced-in-recalling-its-150-year-legacy-of-faith-service-community-and-a.jpg)
![Honorees recognized for service at Catholic Charities’ Caritas Gala #Catholic - Catholic Charities of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey honored five people whose exceptional contributions are giving help and hope to improve the lives of people who are in need during its Caritas Gala 2025 at The Meadow Wood in Randolph, N.J., on Nov. 13. This year, two priests, a lay woman, and a married couple were recognized.
At the event, Catholic Charities celebrated the impact of its 70 programs and services, which promote dignity, well-being, and independence to thousands of people in need. The agency also honored its outstanding volunteers, supporters, and staff. Financial support of the Caritas Gala will make a difference in the lives of those Catholic Charities serves.
That evening, Scott Milliken, Catholic Charities’ CEO; Hazel Yaptangco, development director; and Father Martin Glynn, board president and pastor of St. Mary Parish in Denville, N.J., delivered their remarks. Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney gave the invocation. In place of a physical Missing Man table display, Ariel Jacob Luna, Catholic Charities Veteran Partner of the Year, presented a video honoring Veterans Day on Nov. 11 and reflecting on the symbolism of the Missing Man Table.
“We pray that our gratitude to Almighty God and our celebration of the work of our honorees will strengthen each of us in God’s service and make us ever more committed to caring for those in need of your generous, open hearts,” Bishop Sweeney wrote in the gala program.
Bishop Sweeney presented Paul and Anne Krump of St. Joseph Parish in Mendham, N.J., parents of three and grandparents of five, with the Diocese of Paterson Bishop’s Award for promoting Catholic education and supporting the renovation of the Father English Food Pantry in Paterson, N.J. Locally, they have been involved with the Tri-County Scholarship Fund and Assumption College for Sisters in Denville. The Krumps are active in their parish and the Order of Malta.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Father Owen B. Moran, pastor of St. Vincent Martyr Parish in Madison, N.J., received the Msgr. Mark Giordani Award for more than three decades of pastoral service, social outreach, and spiritual leadership. He initiated a collaborative effort among St. Vincent’s parishioners to help struggling families in Paterson and Dover. He established food pantries at two previous parishes. Father Moran is an Order of Malta chaplain and ministers to the Morris County Correctional Facility, hospice patients, and bereavement groups.
Msgr. John E. Hart, pastor of Assumption Parish in Morristown, N.J., and diocesan director of Clergy Personnel, was honored with the Father Jack Wehrlen Award, “recognizing his priestly heart that reaches out to the brokenhearted and marginalized, giving them hope born of unshakable zeal,” Bishop Sweeney wrote. Msgr. Hart served in many diocesan positions, including as chancellor and in the Tribunal. He is a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus and a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Harpreet Peleg received the Father Norman James O’Connor Award for “her visionary efforts in the world of finance that build up communities which need new life and hope,” according to the bishop. She is the CEO of Building America CDE and the CFO of the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, a leader in impact investing. Formally Building America’s CFO, Peleg played a critical role in its successful allocation of $263 million in New Markets Tax Credits to 31 projects to date.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/honorees-recognized-for-service-at-catholic-charities-caritas-gala-catholic-catholic-charities-of-the-paterson-diocese-in-new-jersey-honored-five-people-whose-exceptional-contributions-are.jpg)
![Faithful invited to close Jubilee Year with bishop in Paterson #Catholic - Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney invites the faithful of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey to unite in gratitude to God on Sunday, Dec. 28, the Feast of the Holy Family, to close the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 with a Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson, N.J., at 3 p.m.
The Jubilee Year of Hope Closing Mass will be the final diocesan event in observance of the Jubilee, which the Universal Church is celebrating. Bishop Sweeney will be the principal celebrant and homilist of the liturgy, which will open with a short procession into the cathedral, the mother church of the diocese. The holy year has been a time for Catholics to have a personal encounter with Jesus and be renewed as Pilgrims of Hope.
“This is the Jubilee Year of Hope. We are Pilgrims of Hope. Our world needs hope, and we can share it — the hope that we receive from our faith and love,” Bishop Sweeney has said when inviting the faithful to be part of diocesan Jubilee celebrations.
At the Mass, participating faithful will also have the opportunity to receive a Jubilee plenary indulgence, the complete remission of temporal punishment for forgiven sins for oneself or deceased loved ones.
The Mass will start at 2:45 p.m. with a short procession of two to four representatives from each of the diocese’s 107 parishes carrying banners of their faith communities from the Rodimer Center and into the cathedral. All other faithful are asked to be seated in St. John’s for the 3 p.m. Mass.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The Prayer of the Faithful will be prayed in various languages to highlight the diocese’s cultural diversity. Readers will be asked to dress in native clothing. Families from the diocese’s three counties — Morris, Sussex, and Passaic — will present the Gifts of bread and wine.
In accordance with Vatican directives that “attention to the poor can be made concrete…[with] authentic acts of charity that can continue after the closing of the Jubilee Year,” the Offertory collection will directly benefit our diocesan Father English Food Pantry in Paterson, N.J., and the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women. The faithful can contribute with a cash offering or through Venmo using the special QR code provided in the liturgical booklet for the Mass.
After Holy Communion, Bishop Sweeney will lead the congregation in a hymn of thanksgiving, Te Deum, also in accordance with a Vatican directive. At this Mass, he will recognize all the pilgrims who participated in the local pilgrimages and those who went with him to Italy.
With the words “Spes No Confundit” — Latin for “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5), the late Pope Francis declared a Jubilee Year of Hope for 2025 with a Bull of Indiction on May 9, 2024, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The pope rang in the holy year by opening the holy doors at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome last Christmas Eve.
In the diocese, Bishop Sweeney opened the Jubilee with a Mass at the cathedral on Dec. 29 last year, the Feast of the Holy Family, in accordance with the pope’s invitation to all bishops worldwide. The diocese held 26 events to help the faithful experience God’s grace.
Salesian Sister Theresa Lee, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious, and Brian Honsberger, formerly of St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison, N.J., worked with seven committees to coordinate the diocese’s jubilee observances.
“It is truly a marvel when we consider that this Holy Year was begun by a pope [Francis] who has guided the Church in reclaiming her roots of living synodal spirituality as Jesus did for our times today and it will be concluded by another pope [Leo XIV] who has from the first words of his pontificate proclaimed peace and unity,” Sister Lee said. “This spirit of goodness, generosity, sacrifice, joy, and the hard work that is needed at times in our journey of holiness has been so evident throughout our diocese, thanks in great part to our local shepherd, Bishop Sweeney, our pastors and priests, and all the faithful who have entered into the Jubilee Year and brought along friends and family.”
Sister Lee added, “I am positive that the graces and fruits of this Jubilee Year will continue long past Dec. 28.”
Father Jared Brogan, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, who helped coordinate the liturgy with Sister Lee, said, “The closing Mass will be a time for us to thank God for all he has done for us in this Jubilee Year, a special year of prayer, conversion, penance, and grace.”
There is free parking for the Mass.
All Jubilee point persons Parish representatives need to register for the procession by Dec. 26.](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/faithful-invited-to-close-jubilee-year-with-bishop-in-paterson-catholic-bishop-kevin-j-sweeney-invites-the-faithful-of-the-paterson-diocese-in-new-jersey-to-unite-in-gratitude-to-god-on-sunday-de.jpg)
![Night of solidarity and hope for our immigrant brothers and sisters held #Catholic - The community of Our Lady of Fatima & St Nicholas Church in Passaic experienced a deeply moving evening during the Night of Solidarity and Hope for Our Immigrant Brothers and Sisters on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The celebration brought together parishioners, community leaders, and several priests from the Diocese of Paterson for a moment of prayer, gratitude, and commitment to justice.
The Holy Mass was celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, and the homily was given by Father Gary Graf, who is currently undertaking an extraordinary pilgrimage on foot from Chicago to New York—thousands of steps under sun and rain—in support of immigrant rights and human dignity.
At the beginning of the celebration, Bishop Sweeney reminded the faithful that we are “two days before Thanksgiving, asking for blessings, peace, and justice for our country, the United States.”
He warmly welcomed Father Graf, highlighting that “he has been walking for seven weeks from Chicago to Passaic and will continue on to the Statue of Liberty in solidarity with the immigrant community, raising his voice with love and peace but also asking for justice, for respect for every human being; we are all children of God.”
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
The bishop also expressed gratitude to Father Rolands Uribe, the pastor of the church, and the priests present, including Father Duberney Villamizar, vicar for Hispanic Affairs, and Father Yojaneider García, director of the Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation, who extended the invitation to Father Graf to share this special evening.
Father Graf began by highlighting “the good relationship Bishop Kevin has with his priests,” which he described as a beautiful example for the entire diocese.
He then spoke about the richness of cultural heritage: “Many years ago, our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents built the incredible churches and cathedrals.”
He also focused on the present, emphasizing that young people are an essential part of the future of our communities.
With great humility, he shared: “I walk very little compared to all that you have walked, from so many countries (including the priests), leaving land and family.”
He encouraged everyone to keep their identity alive: “Keep alive our culture, heritage.”
Father Graf expressed deep affection for priests, saying, “No one is loved more than a priest. The world esteems us, loves us, receives us.”
And he offered a heartfelt message to his brother priests: “Fall in love with your people, because the priest who does not fall in love with his people… what poverty, what sadness!”
Referring to his long journey, he added, “Walking 50 days is nothing.”
Father Graf shared how this pilgrimage has been both a human and spiritual experience. “Along the way, I have met so many people of goodwill who love immigrants very much, because they know they were immigrants, or their parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were. Sometimes one forgets, and so it was very important for me to stand up and express that truth and tell that truth.”
He added that this truth is not often heard in Washington: “We are not hearing from Washington that we are an immigrant people; it is a blessing.”
He reflected on the roads he has traveled—“the highways of Indianapolis, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey”—and asked: “Who built those roads, those buildings, if not immigrants?”
With conviction, he said: “We are a nation of immigrants, we are so proud of our heritage, and that’s what I came to celebrate with all of you… and remind ourselves that the greatest sin is the sin of forgetfulness, when we forget where we came from — and we lost.”
With affection, he encouraged everyone to honor the sacrifices of their families: “It is our responsibility to work hard like our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, and [honor] the sacrifices they made every step of the way from their countries.”
To the teenagers present, he offered a simple but profound task: “When you get home tonight, thank your parents and grandparents and ask them what was their story, their sacrifices.”
At the end of the celebration, Father Villamizar offered thanks to the communities of Passaic, Morris, and Sussex County and shared an exciting announcement: as a result of the Diocesan Pastoral Plan for the Hispanic Community, one of the priorities identified was the need for a Pastoral Migratoria program.
He joyfully announced that, after months of dialogue with the Chicago Pastoral Migratoria, the Diocese of Paterson is ready to begin this important work, and that Miguel Rodríguez will serve as the liaison with the Archdiocese of Chicago.
“Little by little, we will begin planting this pastoral ministry in the parishes of our diocese,” he said.
Finally, Father Graf spoke with great emotion about Our Lady of Guadalupe, reminding everyone that she accompanies us in our identity and in our faith. He emphasized that she “invites us, allows us to see ourselves as sons and daughters of that great Mother of ours here on our continent.”
The evening ended with this comforting truth: under the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we walk together as one people—loved, guided, and sustained by God.
PHOTOS | JESSICA MARTINEZ
[See image gallery at beaconnj.org]](https://unitedyam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/night-of-solidarity-and-hope-for-our-immigrant-brothers-and-sisters-held-catholic-the-community-of-our-lady-of-fatima-st-nicholas-church-in-passaic-experienced-a-deeply-moving-evening-during.jpg)
