• By Mabel Pais

As the festive Christmas season approaches, the renowned Catholic priest and popular podcaster, Father Mike Schmitz, graces NJPAC for an inspiring evening on Monday, December 9th, at 7 PM.

Embrace the spirit of Advent and experience a night of reflection that could transform your holiday season!

In this meaningful discussion centered around the theme of Advent, Father Mike reflects on the significance of this season, offering insights that aim to deepen and strengthen one’s faith during the most wonderful time of the year. Father Mike Schmitz, cherished by Catholics around the globe for his engaging podcasts, ‘The Bible in a Year’ and ‘The Catechism in a Year,’ has a unique ability to connect with audiences of all ages. His uplifting message resonates with many, making him a beloved figure in the community.

This evening promises more than just a talk; it is an opportunity to support Father Mike’s vital fundraising efforts, aimed at establishing a new ministry center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he serves as campus chaplain. With a rich history of preaching to thousands, both locally and nationally, Father Mike’s influence extends beyond the pulpit. He also shares weekly homilies available on platforms like iTunes, Hallow, and bulldogCatholic.org, and engages young people through programs facilitated by Ascension Press as well as through his popular video messages on Ascension Presents.

The event, titled ‘Face to Face: A Night of Advent Reflection with Father Mike Schmitz,’ is a collaborative effort brought to you by Bulldog Catholic, Ascension, and Corporate Travel Service.

TICKETS

Tickets for this enlightening talk with Father Mike Schmitz are available at NJPAC.org or the NJPAC Box Office, or by calling 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722)

FATHER MIKE SCHMITZ

Learn more at bulldogcatholic.org/about-contact-us/about-fr-mike-schmitz/

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)

NJPAC located in downtown Newark, N.J., is America’s most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, which have reached almost 2 million children, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 10 million visitors since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.

Follow NJPAC Online:

Website:     njpac.org

Twitter:      @NJPAC

Instagram:    @NJPAC

Hashtag:     #NJPAC

Facebook:    facebook.com/NJPAC

YouTube:     NJPACtv

Follow NJPAC’s Standing in Solidarity Series Online:

Website: njpac.org/takeastand

Hashtag: #NJPACTakeAStand

Youtube: Standing in Solidarity playlist

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SETON HALL UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES RETURN OF NEW CHAPTER: INVESTITURE OF PRIEST-PRESIDENT

• By Mabel Pais 

The Seton Hall University community, together with community and government officials and representatives from colleges and universities across the nation, gathered on November 4, 2024, for a mass and ceremony to mark the investiture of Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly, S.T.L., Ph.D., as the University’s twenty-second president. Monsignor Reilly’s appointment marks the return of a priest-president to Seton Hall, which has been a hallmark of the University for 146 years of its 168-year history.

“To say Monsignor Reilly understands our mission is an understatement. It is inseparable from who he is,” said Hank D’Alessandro, ’85, chair of the Board of Regents, who presided over the investiture ceremony. “He continues the tradition of the priest-president, a role he will use to instill hope and advance success for our entire community.”

In his investiture address, Monsignor Reilly said, “Half of my life has been spent here. [Seton Hall] is a place of encounter, of education, of enrichment, of empathy, edification and equity. It was here, in this place, where I discovered the passion and purpose for my life as a priest. But it is not simply a place of three campuses. Seton Hall is a community of people, with fundamental beliefs about God, the human person, the world and the values that underlie all of those things that are founded in faith. This is what sustains each one of us in our lives here at Seton Hall.”

“My deep desire as I begin my service as a priest-president here at Seton Hall is that I would like to be able, like Jesus Christ, to make a gift of myself in service to the community,” added Monsignor Reilly.

His Eminence, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., chair of Seton Hall’s Board of Trustees, president of the Board of Regents and Archbishop of Newark, served as Celebrant and Homilist at the investiture mass and addressed the investiture ceremony. “Monsignor Reilly’s selection as Seton Hall’s leader follows decades of devoted service to the University and its students, and through them, to the world. I am confident his presidency will produce even more remarkable achievements.” Watch this short video youtu.be/-yhWxiRwc5Y.

The ceremony culminated a week-long celebration of investiture-related events, including an academic symposium, “The Story of Catholic Education: Renewing Our Universities,” a Student Leaders Luncheon and a gathering with alumni and families during Homecoming and Family Weekend. Watch the entire investiture ceremony at youtube.com/watch?v=3VJ9sD-BOB0.

THE PRESIDENT

Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly, S.T.L., Ph.D., began his tenure as the University’s 22nd president on July 1, 2024. He brings to the presidency a deep understanding of Seton Hall’s identity as a leading Catholic university and a robust vision to elevate its standing among the leading institutions in American higher education.

A Mountainside, N.J., native, Monsignor Reilly attended Seton Hall Prep and graduated from the University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Newark in 1991 and then served as a parochial vicar at St. Paul in Ramsey and St. Andrew in Bayonne.

In 1995, he joined the staff of Seton Hall Prep, where he served as a faculty member and chaplain. Seven years later, he returned to the University as rector of the College Seminary at St. Andrew’s Hall.

Monsignor Reilly was selected to serve in multiple pontificates. St. John Paul II named him a chaplain to His Holiness in 2005 with the title of Reverend Monsignor, and Pope Francis appointed him a Missionary of Mercy in 2015. Learn more at shu.edu.

SETON HALL UNIVERSITY (shu.edu)

For more information, visit shu.edu.

(Mabel Pais writes on Spirituality, Education, The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Cuisine, Health & Wellness, and Business)