This Sunday, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, the final Sunday of our liturgical year. Pope Pius XI presciently instituted the feast of Christ the King in 1925 to combat the progressive secularization of Western civilization. The Holy Father was dismayed by the increasing influence of anti-Christian values in the mainstream of society, culture, and government; his point was that despite attempts to find fulfillment in all the wrong places, only when all people “realize that Christ is King, will society at last receive the blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace, and harmony.”

Many of you may recall, as I do, the catechetical lessons of childhood. When my mom taught me the Ten Commandments, her explanation was simple: “These are God’s laws,” she explained. “By following them, we are preparing ourselves to be with God forever in Heaven.” I would ask her: “What do we do in Heaven?” My mom would explain: “Oh it is beautiful…We kneel before God and worship Him for all eternity.” My response: “Forever? That sounds boring.” My mom would try to explain that God would make sure it would not be boring for us. I would mostly leave her lap unconvinced about “how” God would make it less boring, but quite convinced that following God’s Commandments would enable us to gain Heaven.

Margaret Josephine Dodd Hillier, 98, of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, passed away peacefully Oct. 30 in St. Patrick’s Mercy Home in St. John’s surrounded by her loving family. She is the mother of Father John G. Hiller, Director of the Office of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the Diocese of Metuchen and the Office for Persons with Disabilities.

Religious Teachers Filippini Sister Anne Marie Pace, 98, who taught at St. Ann School, Raritan Borough, and Perth Amboy Catholic School, died Oct. 14 at St. Joseph Hall Infirmary, Villa Walsh, Morristown.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, With a grateful heart, I am able to share with you today that we exceeded the 2022 Bishop’s Annual Appeal goal by over one million dollars! We raised almost 8.4 million dollars this year. This is a great tribute to you and act of thanksgiving as we celebrated our 40th anniversary as a diocese. As you know, the needs have become greater given the pandemic and the recent inflation issues we are suffering from. I am told that many more elderly brothers and sisters are coming for assistance these days and the number of people coming has tripled since the beginning of the pandemic. The extra funding available to respond to all these many needs is a great relief. Yes, we are able to respond to so many of these needs in the name of Christ, thanks to your overwhelming generosity. This is a blessing and something we cannot do alone or as an individual parish, so you came together to respond as a diocesan community in a beautiful way. Thank you!