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.

As we celebrate St John Paul II’s feast day, it’s worth asking ourselves: have we opened wide the doors to Christ? Is he welcome in every corner of our personal and communal lives?

It seems crazy that I’d be able to say it year after year, but this is the OLMC reality: we’ve come a long way, and we’re just getting started.

As we bring forth our beloved dogs and cats (and others!) to receive their blessing, it’s also a good opportunity to reflect on the Saint behind the simplicity of this day.

In the daily rhythm of ordinary life, peace is rarely forged by insisting on our own way; rather, it is found in the generous and humble love by which each makes room for the other. 

Scan the QR code to access the Annual Report (hard copies available upon request)

The Church dedicates September in a particular way to Our Lady of Sorrows, honoring the profound suffering Mary endured in union with her son.

Work is ultimately about more than paychecks and promotions; it’s a daily opportunity to offer ourselves to God for the good of his beloved world.

The home is where we begin our day, get ready for our various tasks, where we are fed, take our rest, and start over again.

God constantly seeks to connect us with others who will lead us closer to true joy.

“….a happy life is not found in having nothing asked of us, but in finding something - and someone - worthy of giving ourselves to.”

Worry, in turn, is the exact opposite of imagination’s purpose. Far better for us to entrust ourselves to God’s providence and direct our thoughts not towards what might go wrong, but rather towards what might yet become possible. 

One key to accepting Jesus’ offer is presence - that is, mastering the art of living in the now - a lesson August can teach us well if we let it.

These “in-between” moments of summer are providential for deepening our heart-to-heart with God. We can take advantage of the opportunity to reset, recommit, renew, or simply ask him how he wants us to pray. Openness and perseverance are key.

This is a providential moment for OLMC to welcome Father John and Father Lucas, as our parish continues to grow in both numbers and mission.

Join us for this year’s Procession through the streets of Boonton for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Scan this QR code for the worship aid of hymns and prayers.

This season offers a fitting moment to pause and recognize the tireless dedication of our parish staff and countless volunteers whose behind-the-scenes efforts make every celebration, ministry, and moment of worship possible. 

Real patriotism is a virtue of well-ordered love.

In a scattered world, a father’s gift of self is a gathering force whose power cannot be overstated.

A vocation, then, is the unique and unrepeatable path by which each of us is drawn into communion with God - right here and now - and sent forth by him into the waiting world (also right here and now).