Saints Cyril and Methodius Roman Catholic Church

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Christopher Church in Parsippany Aug. 6 where he celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Joseph Parish in Newton Aug. 5 where he celebrated the vigil Mass marking the Feast of the Transfiguration.

The bright notes of a trumpet ring out over the deep chords of an organ on “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” before a male baritone voice intones the Christmas hymn’s signature verse, “Oh, come let us adore him.” The simple, yet elegant, performance lets the message of hope — and the artistry — of the song shine through its equally unadorned arrangement.

When Julissa Espinal was 23, she started on a journey to follow God’s plan for her life. She moved to Casa Guadalupe, the Diocese’s house of discernment for women, in 2012 and at the time, she told The Beacon that “Living here has allowed me to spend time in the quiet and pray about my life. Casa Guadalupe has also taught me about living in community life.”

The generosity of the faithful in the Paterson Diocese made the 2016 Bishop’s Annual Appeal a record-breaker. The $4.4 million in pledges was the largest amount raised in Appeal history. These pledges will help fund diocesan Catholic Charities agencies, the education of seminarians, the educational needs of inner-city children attending Catholic schools in the Diocese and Nazareth Village in Chester, the diocesan priests’ retirement residence.

Vice President Mike Pence recently drew attention to the persecution of Christians around the world, telling a summit in Washington, D.C., that “no people of faith today face greater hostility or hatred than the followers of Christ.” In the same speech, Pence singled out “the suffering of Christians in the Middle East,” promising that the U.S. would act to protect Christians in that part of the world.

Bishop Cletus C. Perera, a Benedictine priest from the Sylvesterine congregation, of the Diocese of Ratnapura in Avissawella, Sri Lanka, came far from his home to the Paterson Diocese recently to share the stories and struggles about the faithful he leads in his diocese.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Thomas of Aquin Parish in Ogdensburg July 30 where he celebrated Mass for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time.