On March 3, students from the seven Catholic high schools in the Paterson Diocese came together for the 2nd annual Youth Encounter at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison. Sixty-one youths attended the event, accompanied by their school chaplains, theology teachers, and administrators.
The students engaged in a listening session using the Conversion in the Spirit dynamic for the recent Synod on Synodality. They offered questions, concerns, and reflections about their faith in an ongoing conversation.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney offered a prayer and welcome remarks to start the day, and Father Paul Manning, diocesan vicar for evangelization and education, spoke to the students. Bishop Sweeney also conducted a question-and-answer session with the students.
The event concluded with lunch after adoration.
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Students came from the following schools: Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta, the Academy of St. Elizabeth in the Convent Station neighborhood of Morris Township, Mary Help of Christians Academy in North Haledon, DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, Morris Catholic High School in Denville, Delbarton School in Morristown, and Villa Walsh Academy in Morristown.
“Thank you to the students and faculty who joined us for the day. May we all find hope and be hope to the world during this Jubilee Year of Hope,” Bishop Sweeney posted on social media.
During the day, Cecile Pagliarulo, digital media specialist, captured participants praying the Jubilee Prayer as part of the Diocesan #PatersonHope40 initiative, which is being posted on the diocese’s social media at Instagram.com/bishopkevinsweeney, Instagram.com/patersondiocese, and Facebook.com/patersondiocese.
BEACON PHOTOS | JOE GIGLI
