Roughly 400 people took advantage of the many opportunities to engage with their faith, families, and fellow Catholics at the Paterson Diocesan Jubilee Family Fest. The popular event was held on the lush grounds of the Shrine of St. Joseph in the Stirling neighborhood of Long Hill Township on a miraculously sunny May 31 afternoon.
On that Saturday, people and families of all ages had fun at the Family Fest, which mixed the bucolic spirituality of St. Joseph’s 43-acre campus with a lively afternoon of faith, food, fun, and service. A Catholic activity, the event was one of the diocese’s many observances for the Jubilee of Hope 2025, a celebration observed by the Universal Church.
Families prayed the Stations of the Cross, adoration, and Family Rosary and had opportunities for confession. At a Vocations Tent for Priestly and Consecrated Life, diocesan priests and members of women’s religious communities shared the joys of their ministries. Most devotional activities were in English and Spanish, with some also in Polish and Tagalog. The religious sisters were from the Sisters of Christian Charity, the Salesian Sisters, the Religious Teachers Filippini, the Franciscan Sisters of St. Elizabeth, and the Vocationist Sisters.
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“Vocations come from families. We priests and religious sisters were with young people when they are considering life’s options,” said Father Charles Lana, parochial vicar of Holy Family Parish in Florham Parish and diocesan vocations director. “We gave people information and encouraged them to pray for vocations and get involved.”
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney opened the Family Fest, leading 200 pilgrims, from parents with newborns, young children, and grandparents using rollators and canes, on a pilgrimage: a 1-mile uphill rosary procession from St. Vincent de Paul Parish, also in Stirling, to St. Joseph’s, escorted by town police. He concluded the event with an outdoor Mass in the late afternoon.
Father Christopher Barkhausen, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Vernon and head of the subcommittee for diocesan Jubilee pilgrimages, called the rosary procession “impressive.”
“We are pilgrims of hope. During the procession, we walked with the Lord to the Family Fest. We made the sacrifice of walking a mile to pray for the event’s success and struggling families,” Father Barkhausen said.
The day offered fun for parents and children, including face painting by several of the religious sisters, a giant water slide, games, and Jubilee-themed crafts. Many families picnicked on the grounds.
The Family Fest offered service opportunities. Many families assembled kits with items for women in need through the Passaic Neighborhood Center for Women. Partnering with the diocesan Catholic Charities, attendees had the opportunity to engage and play games with individuals from the Department for Persons with Disabilities.
Run by the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, St. Joseph’s is one of five designated holy sites in the diocese where the faithful can pilgrimage this Jubilee year. The Family Fest was the second of five diocesan pilgrimages, one to each of the local sacred sites. The pilgrimages enable the faithful to receive a plenary indulgence, a special blessing granted during a holy year. For more information, visit https://rcdop.org/designated-jubilee-sites
Eni Honsberger, director of the diocesan Family Life Office, said the Family Fest was “focused on the gift that families are.”
“Families enjoyed the fun, faith-filled day. They had the opportunity to get involved in activities they might not have time for in their busy schedules,” said Honsberger, who thanked the Knights of Columbus’ assistance. “Participants also were able to gain a plenary indulgence, a grace and gift the Church offers.”
