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The Shrine of St. Joseph is like no other!
Read our story in this special Newsletter.
For many people it is a center of
missionary service, extending the arms of its caring people to the poor,
the abandoned, and those seeking peace and justice!
For thousands of pilgrims who visit these
holy grounds, it is a retreat center, a sacred space “to walk with your
God” in the company of others or alone with God!
For the stewards of this special place, it
is their center of worship where, within communities of like
worshippers, they rejoice in their Catholicism! Committed to liturgy
and sacramental celebrations, they live their commitment to God, one
another, and their fellow human beings to whom they serve in honor of
all humanity.
Foremost, the Shrine is “a place of
peace,” purposefully chosen by Fr. Thomas Augustine Judge in 1924 as a
venue of sacred refuge for the growing population of the New Jersey-New
York area, and as a place of refreshment and enlightenment for his
growing order of clergy, The Missionary Servants of the Most Holy
Trinity.
It was as if Fr. Judge placed a beacon on
the hillside for the throngs of pilgrims who have been flocking here for
nearly ninety years. Grounded by his dynamic propheticism, which
encourages ordinary people to carry the Word and love of God to one
another, a lay apostleship continues to spread compassion within
immigrant communities, among the disenfranchised; and those suffering
illness and addiction. The cries of the stranger, the knock
on the door in the middle of the night have brought – and continue to
bring in – new pilgrims and advocates. They have never been
turned away, and have been the source of new ministries! Early pilgrims
honored these holy grounds by naming it after their patron, Saint
Joseph, whose courage and faith continues to inspire admiration in an
era of economic uncertainty. The love which held St. Joseph to his
family, continues to guide spiritual journeyers who follow in the
footsteps of generations before them.
Fr. Judge was a zealot, a man of powerful
words! He preached throughout the northeast and rural south, and left
behind written guides for practical living of the word of God. They
are as applicable today as they were when he gathered lay apostles to
his order. He reminds us that “The Soul lies restless until it finds
expression in good works.”
Many opportunities call the Shrine
priests, brothers, sisters and volunteers into ministries for the poor,
the elderly, the homeless, and those seeking their God. The Shrine is
unique in its missionary service, in its commitment to peace and
justice, and in its sacredness for those on a journey.
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A visitor reads the names of 9/11
victims on the Tower of Remembrance Wall during the tenth anniversary
commemoration services this year.
A
Center For Peace
Many years ago the Shrine of St.
Joseph was declared a “peace site”. Since July 2002, when its Tower of
Remembrance Memorial to all victims of the 9/11 terror attacks was
dedicated, it has become hallowed ground for their families, and the
inspiration for Shrine apostles wishing to commemorate their deaths with
dedication to creating a more peaceful world.
Since 2006 hundreds of middle and high school
students have attended a one-day workshop, “Building Bridges to Peace.”
Lay missionaries under the leadership of Dick Byrnes, challenge young
people to see daily opportunities to serve as peacemakers, such as
school conflicts, bullying, and home/community dissension.
Participants consider the best approaches
to resolving conflict through specially designed scenarios and propose
ways of handling them. They also discuss personal experiences and the
impact they have had on their lives. The spiritual dimension includes a
Mass in the Chapel and a meditation on the Turning from Violence icon,
painted after the 9/11 attacks. Feedback from the students emphasize
the powerful closing, a visit to the Tower of Remembrance where they
offer prayers for victims of violence and oppression throughout the
world.
Peace and
Justice
Incorporating the
devotion of Missionary Servants to reaching out to the poor and
oppressed, legal services are being delivered to immigrant families
suffering from unjust laws. Working with lay apostles, Mission
Director, Br. John Skrodinsky, S.T., is establishing a Marriage and
Family Ministry, and is working to establish a new youth ministry
program. The Shrine welcomes monthly visits from inner city Straight &
Narrow programs for the addicted. |
