The American Red Cross thanks the efforts of the Knights of Columbus Council 636 and all of St. Paul Parish for the life-giving gift of blood donation!

On July 1, Fr. Chris began serving our parish community as parochial vicar. is the oldest of eight children. He attended Christian Brothers Academy High School in Lincroft and received his B.A. in Political Science from Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia in 2010. He prepared for the priesthood at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland starting in 2013 and received a Bachelor Degree in Sacred Theology and a Master of Divinity. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Trenton on June 2, 2018. Fr. Chris completed his Master of Science in Church Administration from Villanova University School of Business in May 20, 2023. Fr. Chris was appointed Parochial Vicar of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Belmar. During the five years that he was assigned to St. Rose, he was also the Chaplain for St. Rose High School in addition to helping as a part-time chaplain at Christian Brothers Academy. In addition to his parish assignment at St. Rose, Fr. Chris served a three-year term on the Diocese of Trenton Vocations Team and a two-year term on the Faith in Our Future Planning Commission. He is currently a member of the Diocesan Commission on Real Estate and Buildings, and July 1 will begin his role as Associate Director of Property and construction for the Diocese of Trenton.

Richard Albanese and his wife Suzanne reside in Mercerville and have been active parishioners at Our Lady of Sorrows - St. Anthony Parish in Hamilton for over 25 years. Their three children attended Our Lady of Sorrows School where Suzanne also taught for 12 years. Rich most recently worked as the Controller at a manufacturing company in Princeton Junction. He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh (M.S. in Accounting) and Saint John's University (B.S. in Finance).

After already serving our hispanic community in her adolescence, Isha has served our Religious Education office as a bilingual assistant since 2021. A huge asset to building bridges between our communities, Isha will be greatly missed!

Fr. Carlo has served our parish family as parochial vicar since 2017. We will surely miss his joy around our campus, running into him in town, and his comedic quips. We'll keep him in our prayers as he prepares to serve his next parish.

The Holy Season of Lent brings with it the serious annual penitential obligation to abstain from meat on Fridays of Lent. This year, 2023, however, Friday of the second week of Lent corresponds with Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17), which has traditionally been an occasion for special celebrations. As Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, I am granting a dispensation from the obligation to abstain from eating meat to Catholics of the Diocese of Trenton as well as to any visitors or travelers who may be physically present within the territory of this Diocese on Friday, March 17. Those Catholics taking advantage of the dispensation, however, are asked to transfer the Friday abstinence obligation to another day of their choosing in Lent or to perform a work of charity (for example, a donation to the poor) or some exercise of piety (for example, a visit to Church and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, a rosary, or some other prayer, etc.) to fulfill the spirit of the obligation.

Our 8th grade Confirmation candidates hosted a wonderful “Senior” prom this evening for grandparents and parishioners!

The attached job description contains details regarding the Sunday Catholic Mass Accompanist position for a chapel at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Trenton, NJ. The schedule and rate are as follows: - A minimum of one regularly scheduled Sunday Mass performance per week - One regularly scheduled rehearsal per week - Occasional special event services, memorials/funerals, Christmas and Easter seasonal services, pageants and plays, and Holy Days of Obligations may be required between Monday-Friday - Any and all special event rehearsals (minimum one special event rehearsal per special service) will be approved by the Catholic Chaplain or his designate on a timely basis - The rate will be $950 per month Please feel free to share this job information, along with my contact info: Cell: (407) 602-7780 ext.1 Email: info@sawyerglobal.com

Thank you to the mothers and daughters who attended our parish's inaugural Wonderfully Made Mother/Daughter Tea! The afternoon was a great success and we are already planning next year's event to be held in January 2024. Mark your calendars! Tickets will be sold in the fall.

Bishop O’Connell has announced that there will be a Memorial Mass for the late pope this Thursday, Jan. 5, at noon in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral in Freehold. This will allow an opportunity for the clergy, consecrated religious and faithful in attendance to pray together as a diocesan family. For those who cannot attend the diocesan Mass, it will also be livestreamed at youtube.com/trentondiocese.

On Dec. 31, 2022, as the world learned of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., of the Diocese of Trenton released a personal reflection about the pontiff who named him a bishop in 2010 and who had visited The Catholic University of America in Washington during then-Father O’Connell’s tenure as president.

Benedict XVI, one of the world’s foremost theologians and the first pope to retire in almost 600 years, died on Dec. 31 at the age of 95.