Staff and partners of Catholic Charities of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., gathered on June 26 for a blessing of its new two-story, 15,000-square-foot headquarters on 50 Route 46 in Parsippany, N.J., by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney.
After several years of Catholic Charities’ offices operating in temporary locations, the new building will serve as the central hub for the administrative teams of Human Resources, Finance, Development, IT, and Security. These teams support the mission-driven work of Catholic Charities’ agencies: Catholic Family and Community Services; Straight and Narrow, its substance-abuse treatment program; and the Department for Persons with Disabilities.
The new location is accessible from major roadways and sits at the heart of the three counties Catholic Charities serves: Passaic, Morris and Sussex. The mission of Catholic Charities is to provide service to people in need throughout New Jersey each day, advocate for justice in social structures, and call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.
Of the new location, Bishop Sweeney said, “Each office and meeting space provides an opportunity to give a new beginning to a soul in need, to heal a broken heart, and to encourage those in darkness to see the Living Light, Jesus Christ.”
June is the month of the Sacred Heart, and Bishop Sweeney called the new building “a North Star for those seeking hope through the healing rays of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”
Bishop Sweeney expressed his gratitude to the staff and presented them with an image of the Holy Family. That image symbolizes the importance of family, the ever-present love of God and the Church’s mission to offer healing, welcome, warmth and nourishment to those in need, a mission that continues to come to life every day through the work of Catholic Charities, the bishop said.
Scott Milliken, CEO of Catholic Charities, presented Bishop Sweeney with a statue of Jesus embracing a homeless man. It is a replica of the life-size sculpture that stands outside the Father English Consumer Choice Food Pantry in Paterson, N.J., and will be visible at Catholic Charities agencies across the U.S.
Milliken expressed his gratitude to Bishop Sweeney; Msgr. T. Mark Condon, diocesan vicar general and moderator of the Curia and pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Angels Parish in Little Falls, N.J.; Father Martin Glynn, president of the Catholic Charities Board of Trustees and pastor of St. Mary Parish in Denville, N.J.; and the entire Board for investing in the future home of Catholic Charities.
“We have finally found our forever home, which is conducive to the complete operations of Catholic Charities, which provides help and creates hope for so many in our diocese,” Milliken said.
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