St. Paul Catholic Church

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Mary Parish in Denville and celebrated the vigil Mass for the First Sunday of Advent.

Bishop Serratelli led the Paterson Diocese in mourning the loss of Bishop Emeritus Frank J. Rodimer, the sixth bishop of Paterson, who died on Dec. 6 at St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly in Totowa at 91 — in words of praise for its “local son,” who dedicated his 67 years as a priest and 26 years as bishop in loving service to the Diocese, where he was born, was raised, lived his entire life and was called home to God.

Bishop Emeritus Frank J. Rodimer, the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Paterson whose episcopate was the longest in the 80-year history of the Diocese (1978-2004), died Dec. 6. He was 91 years old.

Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Sacred Heart Parish here where he celebrated Mass for the First Sunday of Advent Dec. 2. During the visit, the Bishop also administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to young people of the parish.

Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to serve World War II survivors in Europe. Since then, it has expanded in size to reach more than 130 million people in more than 100 countries on five continents.

At one of the most culturally diverse parishes in the Diocese, parishioners of St. Paul in the city celebrated the Feast of the Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, also known as the Feast of Christ the King, at the 11 a.m. Mass Nov. 25.

As Advent began, it was fitting that the faithful from the Diocese came together in celebration of the season of hopeful anticipation of Christ’s birth at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Patyerson Dec. 2, the First Sunday of Advent, for the annual diocesan Christmas Concert. This year’s concert marked the 200th anniversary of “Silent Night.”

The past president of the Catholic Bar Associa­tion (CBA) encouraged local Catholic lawyers to urge their clients to fill out an Advanced Directive: a legal document that she said can do more than name a person to make medical decisions for them if they are not able; outline for doctors their desires for medical treatment; and put in place a “do not resuscitate” order. It also, she said, can enable Catholics and others to make clear their wishes for end-of-life care, based on the principles of their faith.