For the first time since the lockdown, I drove up Route 539 and Sharon Station Road on my way to St. Mary's Cathedral.  I was pleasantly surprised by new construction.

     Msgr. Roldan celebrated a wonderful Mass.  Six priests and a deacon joined him as you can see in the picture above.  Bishop O'Connell attended too.  To see more pictures, click here.

     I was delighted to catch up with Jim King, the executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference.  He was a year ahead of me in the seminary until he discerned a calling to the vocation of marriage.  I think he's been doing marvelous work, and he helped me understand NJ politics a little better.

     Talking with our bishop and fellow priests before and after Mass helped ground me in reality.  The media doesn't report much about what our bishop does.  What I see impresses me.  We haven't seen the conversion of the pro-abortion politicians yet, but that's not due to a lack of effort.

     After the Mass, we walked over to the New Jersey State House for New Jersey Right to Life's Rally for Life.  See a couple pictures here.  I heard the speeches better than any other year.  We have a growing number of pro-life legislators in the NJ Senate & Assembly.  Marie Tasy leads NJ Right to Life.  She's a lobbyist who meets with members of the NJ Senate & Assembly.  So, I learned even more about NJ politics.  All my life, I've paid more attention to federal politics than state politics.  I wonder if I need to make some adjustments.

     Besides politicians, we also heard from leaders in the pro-life movement.  Many were rather inspiring.  One guy gave us a catchy slogan:

Pro-choice is a lie;

Babies don't choose to die.

He had us repeat it louder and louder.  Other speakers also invited us to do so.  That little slogan is consistent with deeper philosophical truths about the humanity of the baby and the misunderstanding that many have about freedom and making choices.

     A Rider University student represented Students for Life and told us about their research into Christian schools supporting Planned Parenthood.   A number of them cut ties once it was brought to their attention.  Many have maintained ties including some Catholic colleges.  Visit Christian Schools Betray Biblical Values.  The school I've had the most connection with is St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.  Many of my relatives and friends have gone there.

    Ellen Conaghan told me that three people dropped out of the bus.  So, we have plenty of room.  Give her a call at 732-899-7322 or 732-322-1873.  We're looking for hardy individuals capable of a challenging pilgrimage.  Sitting on the bus is easy enough.  But we'll walk as much as three miles.  We'll stand still for an hour listening to wonderful speeches and than another hour before we actually start marching.  It's going to get as warm as 29F in Washington next Friday.  I will be dressing extra warmly.  For the really hardy individuals, join us for Mass at St. Peter's in Point Pleasant at 6:30 AM.

     Recent pro-abortion actions taken at the state and federal levels prompted me to attend today's events and plan to attend the March for Life next Friday.  I was reinvigorated by what I witnessed today.  This fight for life is indeed like a continuing marathon.

     Jim King offers his reflections in the first issue of a brand new newsletter from NJCC.  You can view it here.  He talks about how we can civilize politics.  The newsletter also lists issues that the NJCC is following, the NJ bishops response to the new Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act, and a few other items.

     The Monitor has an updated article:  "NJ Catholic bishops decry passage of expansive new abortion rights law."

     Let's pray for one another's intentions...

1)  For an end to abortion in our state and country.

2)  For greater respect for all human life from conception to natural death.

3)  For a more civilized way of doing politics.

4)  For an end to the pandemic.

5)  For health care workers.

God love you,

Fr. Jim