Funds will help parishes engage more with the Bible
A Bible museum, Bible studies for preschoolers, Scripture-based faith sharing for men, a Bible knowledge competition, and a catechist book club featuring Lectio Divina are some initiatives that will be undertaken at a dozen parishes within the Archdiocese of Newark thanks to scholarship funding provided by the American Bible Society and facilitated by the Archdiocese’s Catechetical Office.
Fourteen churches (out of 21 applicants) in the Archdiocese received a Parish Scripture Initiative Scholarship through the Archdiocese’s Catechetical Office to increase their engagement with the Bible in their parishes.
The scholarship program was established in 2023 using funds provided by a grant from the American Bible Society. The funds were awarded to the Archdiocese of Newark as part of a project to help Catholics grow in their study and love of sacred Scripture. The scholarship checks were presented at a special gathering held on Thursday, Aug. 1, at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center in Newark.
Second row: Luis Oswaldo Sanchez, Fr. Exterminio Chica, Fr. Juan Ortega, Fr. Stephen A Carey, Joanne DePasquale-Parent, Associate Director for Adult and Family Catechesis, Jennifer Noll, Leanne Christmann, Yalila Murillo, Office of Catechetics, Gisella Roman, Frances Ferraro, Marilou Tenazas, and Michelle Bivins.
Top row near the flag: Sr. Valeria Gonzalez Cedano and Carol Harris. (Jaimie Winters)
“This is a way to support you at the local level in doing the beautiful things you do, opening hearts to the Word of God,” Patricia Rodriguez, director of the Office of Catechetics, said at the awards event.
For Catholics, Scripture is not only a book to be studied but also the Word of God, which is an essential part of prayer and worship. However, according to the recent Synod report, more Catholics are seeking studies that delve into the Bible. The scholarship fund is a way for the Archdiocese to directly respond to this need for more robust faith formation.
St. Ann Church in Hoboken hosts a men’s-only Bible study, where men are encouraged to explore their biblical, spiritual, and religious ideals individually and with like-minded peers.
Jeff Calafat, who runs the program with Father Martin Schratz, said the scholarship will be a boon to the eight-week study, which allows participants to get closer to “the words of their spiritual father to build families of faith better.”
The funds will also help Sisters Marylou Ayala Corona and Valaria Gonzalez create a Bible museum at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Jersey City. Sister Gonzalez said the sisters — who are Missionary Sisters Servants of the Word, offering hope, peace, and faith through the Word of God — envision a museum consisting of 15 classrooms next summer. Stations will include how to read the Bible, Creation, how men broke with God (sin), the faith of Abraham and how the people of Israel began to form, slavery of the people and the choice of Moses as liberator (Passover, the Red Sea, Covenant, 10 Commandments), time of the judges (most prominent Sanzon), time of the Kings (Saul, David, Solomon), age of the prophets, birth of Jesus, Jesus’ teachings (Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount), miracles of Jesus, Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, formation of the first Christian Communities, and the Parousia (Second coming of Jesus).
Additionally, the funds will allow 25 catechists to enroll in a catechist book club featuring Lectio Divina at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange, said Jennifer Noll, catechetical coordinator at the church.
“Our catechists have a general sense of what Lectio and Visio Divina are but may not be comfortable leading a class of young people in them. This study gets them more comfortable with them,” Noll said, adding that the church is grateful to the Archdiocese for this “grassroots effort of putting money back in the parishes.”
Joanne DePasquale-Parent, associate director for adult and family faith formation in the Catechetical Office, said the scholarship awards are a happy time for the office. She added that the Catechetical Office is pleased with what is being done locally regarding teaching the Word of God, a significant component of faith formation in parishes.
“We love that we can support these grassroots initiatives promoting the Word of God,” DePasquale-Parent said.
Scholarship recipients and initiatives:
Church of the Presentation — Upper Saddle River
The Church of the Presentation will host a program called “Gazing on the Mind of the Creator,” which will provide a deeper look at literary forms, the history of the Bible, the structure of the Bible, the areas in which the writers lived, and the messages of various parts of the Bible.
Guardian Angel Roman Catholic Church — Allendale
Guardian Angel will hold a Bible study course during the Easter season.
Holy Rosary & Saint Michael’s Church — Elizabeth
Using its funding, the parish will support a program that explains the Catholic faith to parents of teens in youth ministry using sacred Scriptures in English and Spanish.
Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church — Union
Holy Spirit’s scholarship will fund a Summer Bible Camp, which will supplement its religious education program.
Our Lady of Sorrows — Jersey City
Our Lady of Sorrows will create a museum of the Bible, narrating the history of salvation.
Our Lady of Sorrows Church — South Orange
The funds will sponsor a catechist book club focused on “Life of Christ: Lectio Divina Journal” in conjunction with Pope Francis’ Year of Prayer for 2024.
St. Anastasia Roman Catholic Church — Teaneck
St. Anastasia’s funds will support its vacation Bible school. With a theme of “Shining Jesus’ Light,” the program will explore the daily Scriptures at Mass each morning with music, art, and exploration. It will culminate with a field trip to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart Basilica in Newark.
St. Ann Roman Catholic Church — Hoboken
St. Ann Church will support its Bible study group for men using its scholarship.
St. Francis of Assisi Church — Hackensack
Using its scholarship, St. Francis of Assisi will sponsor a Lectio Divina Bible study program for youth and adults in English and Spanish.
St. Mary’s Church — Dumont
St. Mary’s will use its scholarship to fund the Great Big Beautiful World Vacation Bible School. Through worship and drama, Bible study, nature-themed art projects and snacks, games, and science explorations, children will discover God’s love for all of creation.
St. Patrick’s Pro-Cathedral — Newark
St. Patrick’s scholarship will fund a course on San Pablo and the early Christian community tailored explicitly for the Hispanic community.
St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church — Belleville
St. Peter’s Church will provide 250 Bibles to middle school confirmation candidates to use during confirmation preparation sessions.
St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish/Immaculate Conception Church — Montclair
The parish will present “Seeds: Watch Us Bloom with God’s Love,” a program introducing preschoolers to Jesus’ love through colorful, hands-on activities.
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish — Linden
The parish’s scholarship will pay for a Bible knowledge competition for older children, with particular attention given to the Acts of the Apostles.
