News - September 2020 RSS Feed

ASBURY — At long last, the spiritual journeys of five men reached a glorious summit as Transitional Deacons David Edward Keyes, Thomas William Lanza, Gustavo Andres Rodriguez-Perez and Gilbert Zachariah Starcher, and Oratorian Brother John Fredy Triana-Beltran were ordained to the priesthood.

We celebrate Catechetical Sunday on Sept. 20, the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Each year, those designated to serve as catechists are called forth and commissioned for their ministry. In his encyclical letter, “Deus Caritas Est (God is Love),” Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI teaches us that the “Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her threefold responsibility: of proclaiming the Word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising ministry of charity (diakonia)” (25). This year, Church leaders, catechists and parents must find new ways of passing on the faith. COVID-19 has flipped our world, but God is still at work even amid the chaos.

Our strange summer is about to come to a close and we see our days becoming shorter! The long Labor Day weekend usually provides us with some extra rest, but for many in our diocese, it was anything but restful this year. Our Catholic schools and parish catechists have been working extra hard to reopen our schools and religious education programs.