Dear Saints,

This past Sunday, Bishop Sweeney presented my parents, Bonny and John O’Mullane, with the Vivere Christus Award in recognition of their service to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It was a joy to see their love for this community recognized in this way.

Our Communications and Engagement Office prepared the article below to mark the occasion. As their son and their pastor, I am grateful for the faith and generosity that have shaped my life and enriched our life together.

Please join me in congratulating them and thanking God for their faithful witness.

Christ’s Peace,
Father Daniel

Some people preach the Gospel not primarily through words, but through the steadfast witness of a life lived in and for Jesus. At Our Lady of Mount Carmel, none have embodied that “doing” spirit more fully than Bonny and John O’Mullane, whose extraordinary devotion to the parish has jointly earned them the Paterson Diocese’s Vivere Christus Award.

For years, Bonny and John have given themselves to OLMC in ways both seen and unseen. Their volunteer service, generosity, and benefaction have been unmatched. Through countless hours, contributions, and willingness to meet the needs of others, they have helped nourish the parish’s vibrant and growing faith community. Their quiet work is deeply woven into OLMC’s tapestry, and the fruits of their generosity will be enjoyed by generations to come.

Yet their greatest legacy lies well beyond the collection basket and volunteer sign up sheets.

As parents the world round can attest, to rear a child is itself an act of profound generosity. But to raise a son who gives his life over to God and the Church is a particular sacrifice and gift, the significance of which cannot be fully understood or measured.

For Bonny and John, that gift has come full circle. The son they raised in worship and witness is now pastor of the very parish to which they have devoted so much of their lives. It is a particularly fitting tribute, then, that they would be presented with this year’s Vivere Christus Award: by faith they have strengthened a parish; by hope they have served its members, and by love they have helped shape its shepherd. Truly, Bonny and John give living expression to the reality that “to live is Christ.”