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Effective this Easter season, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord will be permanently transferred from Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter to the following Sunday, the Seventh Sunday of Easter, in all Catholic dioceses in New Jersey.

A joint statement from the New Jersey Catholic bishops on Governor Murphy’s proposal that all health insurers in New Jersey provide coverage for abortion services 

METUCHEN – Bishop James F. Checchio will ordain 15 men to the permanent diaconate on Saturday, May 14 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi. All are invited to attend the ordination or to watch via livestream at: diometuchen.org/ordinations. 

PISCATAWAY – Through its Ash Wednesday collection and other ongoing efforts, the Diocese of Metuchen collected $415,521.67 in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, which is still under siege by Russian forces.

The 59th annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations will be celebrated by the Catholic Church on May 8. The Fourth Sunday of Easter is commonly referred to as “Good Shepherd Sunday” for the Gospel reading about the shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep, just as Jesus did for us. While upholding all vocations, the Church places a special emphasis each year on this day to pray for vocations to the ordained ministry and consecrated life, and support for those currently living out one of these vocations.

The Most Reverend James F. Checchio, Bishop of Metuchen, will preside at Holy Week and Easter liturgies and services at the following locations. All are welcome and encouraged to participate.

PISCATAWAY – In communion with Pope Francis, Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen will join in prayer as the Holy Father consecrates Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, March 25.

We write to you as Colleagues in Faith and in response to your statement “Pray for Ukraine!” As members of the New Jersey Coalition of Religious Leaders, an interfaith Coalition of Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh Faith Leaders, we unite with you in our prayers for Peace and the well-being of the people of Ukraine.

EDISON – In 1970, when Felician Sister Donna Marie Trukowski first entered St. Thomas Aquinas High School as the chairperson of the mathematics department and as a teacher, the school was less than a year old. Now – after having shepherded the school through a building expansion, its 50th anniversary, and a global pandemic – she will retire in June, leaving behind a lasting legacy and generations of grateful students and families.

PERTH AMBOY – Unified only by their prayers and faith, their city, and the blue and yellow ribbons on their school uniforms, proudly displaying the colors of the Ukrainian flag, the students and faculty members from Assumption Catholic School, a Ukrainian Catholic school, and Perth Amboy Catholic School, a Roman Catholic school, gathered together in a prayerful response to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Ukraine.

On Ash Wednesday, in conjunction with Pope Francis’s call for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine, Catholics in the Diocese of Metuchen will be invited to support the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, especially the Church in Ukraine, where a humanitarian crisis is unfolding. 

On Wednesday, February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the Church commemorates the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. My thoughts and prayers turn in appreciation to you my brothers and sisters who have presented yourselves through the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience for the service of Christ and His Church.

Families interested in applying for tuition assistance to attend an eligible Diocese of Metuchen elementary or high school may apply online now through FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment by no later than March 31, 2022. Applications are available in English and Spanish.

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).