As the Church in the United States prepares to commemorate the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, the Diocese of Metuchen invites the faithful to join in a prayerful novena for the protection of all life, from conception to natural death, as part of their local participation in the 9 Days for Life Novena.  

Dear Sister Patricia and Filippini Sisters,  The spirit of gratitude is alive in our hearts as we give thanks to the Lord for giving us St. Lucy, a Holy Teacher who committed her entire life to the educative-apostolic mission. We are likewise grateful that this is what you all do too -thanks for your undying commitment! I know our celebration here at St. Augustine of Canterbury that I was to have today for St. Lucy's 350th birthday had to be changed given the covid uptick, so I hope that you have been able to celebrate this great day in some worthy fashion. I know that our prayers have continued regardless. We give thanks to God for all of you and are grateful for your ongoing ministry in New Brunswick, Kendall Park, Raritan and Peapack/Far Hills.

The Catholic Bishops of New Jersey join to express our profound disappointment and deep concern about the passage of S49/A6260 - - the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act, which codifies into state law an individual’s right to an abortion, including late-term abortions.

Due to ongoing concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic, the Synod 2023 Listening Sessions originally scheduled to take place on Jan. 25, have been postponed. More information and the new date(s) for the Listening Sessions will be announced in the coming weeks. In the meantime, all are invited to visit the Diocese of Metuchen's website, diometuchen.org/synod2023, to share their feedback by completing the online questionnaire.

Los obispos católicos de Nueva Jersey nos unimos para expresar nuestra más firme oposición al proyecto de ley S49/A6260. Esta legislación perjudicial podría: codificar en ley estatal para que un individuo tenga derecho al aborto, incluso a los abortos tardíos; potencialmente violar la libertad religiosa de los trabajadores de la salud y hospitales; y exigir que empresas privadas expandan su cobertura de salud para ahora incluir servicios de abortos.

The Catholic Bishops of New Jersey join to express our strongest opposition to S49/A6260. This harmful legislation would: codify into state law an individual’s right to an abortion, including late-term abortions; potentially violate the religious freedom of healthcare workers and hospitals; and require private businesses to expand group health coverage to include abortion services. 

TRENTON, NJ — The New Jersey Catholic Conference (NJCC) is calling on Catholics and all people of good will to urge their state elected officials to vote “no” on S49/A6260, legislation which effectively serves as a replacement to the Reproductive Freedom Act (RFA).

MANVILLE – Redemptorist Father Stanislaw Slaby was celebrating the 7 p.m. Mass in Polish at Sacred Heart Church, a worship site of Christ the Redeemer Parish, on Sept. 1 when the heavy rain began to fall.

NJCC Disheartened by the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners Adoption of Proposed Rules to Expand Abortion Services

September is National Recovery Month, a time during which we celebrate those who have achieved recovery and continue our support of those still working toward it. During this time, we, the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey, are renewing our commitment to helping those suffering from various forms of addiction and we are calling on all Catholics and people of good will to join us in praying for, supporting, and encouraging those working toward recovery.

Twenty years ago today, 2,996 lives were lost in terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C. and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. That staggering figure includes citizens of 78 countries, 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers and 37 Port Authority police officers. It includes the 184 lives lost at the Pentagon building and the 44 lives lost in Shanksville. It includes too the lives of the 19 militants who carried out the unspeakable horror.

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ  Many areas of our beautiful Diocese of Metuchen, like many other parts our state, were significantly impacted by historic flooding and storms last night from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, which had already torn through Louisiana, leaving over a million there without power and with serious damage.

SOMERVILLE – A former pastor who diverted parish funds for his own personal use was sentenced Wednesday to serve seven years in state prison.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,   It is not easy to slow ourselves in these days of summer. The summer months may have at one time represented quieted lifestyles and slowed news cycles but now, both seem to be operating at an all-time high, as our minds continuously churn with information about the latest coronavirus updates, Olympic medals won, and, yes, even news about our Catholic Church.

PISCATAWAY – Adding to the systems already in place to report abuse within its boundaries, the Diocese of Metuchen today announced the implementation of an independent third-party reporting system that will allow any person who suspects financial impropriety or other violations of the Diocese of Metuchen’s Pastoral Code of Conduct, to file an anonymous and confidential report.

As the world awaits to hear updates from the Holy See on the continued recovery of Pope Francis after his surgery last weekend, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued the following statement:

ASBURY – Seated before Bishop James F. Checchio in the open-air National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on the eve of Father’s Day, five men – four newly ordained priests and one newly ordained deacon, all for the Diocese of Metuchen – were called to emulate the love of St. Joseph for his Son, Jesus, with all God’s people.

More than a now nationally recognized holiday, Juneteenth is a heartening celebration of emancipation, a sobering remembrance of the horrors of slavery, and a call for each of us to embrace our shared humanity and recognize the fundamental truth that we are all equally made in the image and likeness of God.

The recent string of mass shootings over these past few months, the latest of which occurred earlier today in Austin, Texas, has been a tragic reminder of the many lives lost to gun violence over the years and a jarring reminder of the long road ahead as we work towards peace.

As you may be aware, just a couple of weeks ago, my brother New Jersey bishops and I released a statement reinstating the general obligation to attend Mass, beginning on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the weekend of June 5 and June 6. Gratefully, we will together come home to our parishes, gathering as a Eucharistic assembly around the table of the Lord to receive Him in the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith.