WHAT IS MY CHILD LEARNING THIS MONTH?
An understanding of the structure and function of both our own parish and the Catholic Church at large.
Family Activity - A Walk Around Mount Carmel
This is not a mandatory activity, though it can be used as your monthly family activity. Take a walk around Mount Carmel before/after Mass one Sunday to learn about the many features of a church. Print out these questions and bring them with you to the church. Bring a pencil so you can write down the answers. Email Miss D. your answers This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
- What other saint is also in the stained glass window with St. Brigid?
- There are seven stained glass window that center on events in Jesus' life. Name those seven events.
- There are three statues of male saints in the church. Who are they of?
- What image is on the front of the altar table?
- How many images & statues of Mary are there in the Church?
- What is written under the 5th Station of the Cross?
- There is a window in the church entitled "Cure d'Ars". This was a name given to the saint who is in the stained glass window. Find out his name and what he is patron to.
- If I wanted to take Holy Water home with me, at what church entrance would I find the container with the water in it? (Main entrance, Hudson St. or Passaic St?)
- If I were to go into the daily Mass Chapel, excluding Mary, what two statues of saints would I find in there? Identify this saints. (Who are they - why are they important?)
- On the outside of the church on the Passaic Street side, there are two statues of saints. Who are they?
- On the outside of the church on the Hudson Street side, there are two statues of saints. Who are they?
- On the outside of the church under the large stained glass windows on both the Hudson & Passaic Street sides, there is a saying written in the stone under the window. What is that saying?
Explore Other Churches
Take a virtual tour of 12 beautiful churches around the world! Click here for the links!
BRINGING THIS SESSION HOME
This month, please assist your child in understanding how the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church is structured and functions. Working our way from the "top" down, we will begin with the pope:
THE POPE: 
At the top of the church structure is the pope! Also known as the Bishop of Rome or Supreme Pontiff, the pope is not only the head of the Roman Catholic Church, he is the Head of State, much like the President of the United States. Since Vatican City is also a country, the pope is also a government official as well as a religious leader.
The role of the pope was established by Jesus when he says to Peter, "Upon you I will build my church". Since Peter becomes the first Bishop of Rome, all that follow in that position have the same authority.
The pope is first and foremost the Supreme Pastor, bringing the love and compassion of Jesus Christ to everyone in the world.
He also is responsible for naming the bishops and cardinals in the church.
CARDINALS: 
The next group in the structure of the church's hierarchy would be the cardinals, who you can notice rather easily due to their bright red liturgical clothing.
The cardinals are chosen by the pope to serve in what is called the "College of Cardinals". Their main role is to elect the next pope but they are also a consultative body for the pope. Cardinals also have other duties such as being in charge of a diocese (like a bishop), act as a Pro Nuncio (ambassador) to a country or hold a high level office position at the Vatican.
In order to be part of the Conclave, the meeting to elect a new pope, a Cardinal must be under the age of eighty.
Pope Paul VI also stated that the largest number of Cardinals under the age of eighty was not to exceed 120.
CARDINAL IN PECTORE:
Sometimes the pope will name a Cardinal in secret, mainly to protect him from those who might harm him if the information was discovered. For example, there are several Chinese Cardinals whose names were never released because the country is communist.
BISHOP/ARCHBISHOP:
The role of the bishop is to meet the spiritual needs of those living in a certain geographical region known as a "Diocese" or "Archdiocese".
There are a total of 195 diocese in the United States with 32 of them being named "Archdiocese".
Our Lady of Mount Carmel belongs to the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ, which is made up of Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union Counties.
The Pope is the one who appoints bishops to their geographical region. They must also send the pope their letter of resignation at the age of 75 however, the pope does not have to accept it right away.
COADJUTOR BISHOP/ARCHBISHOP:
A Coadjutor Bishop/Archbishop is assigned by the pope to a diocese when the current Bishop/Archbishop is nearing retirement. This gives the "new guy" a chance to learn as much as possible from the current bishop/Archbishop.
AUXILIARY BISHOP: An Auxiliary bishop is named when a bishop or archbishop is in need of assistance in his diocese. Many times the area may be too large to cover or the number of Catholics in a diocese may be too numerous for one person to deal with. In these cases, the pope will appoint one or more auxiliary bishops to assist in that diocese.
PRIESTS:
Priests tend to work in parishes, schools or in administrative office of the diocese. They are an extension of the bishop to the local people where the bishop may not be able to serve them on a daily basis. Some priests will be named Pastor - usually one per parish. This priest will be in charge of the community that gathers there.
Monsignor Ronald Rozniak
Pastor, OLMC Church
Associate Pastors or Parochial Vicars as they are also called, are other priests who are assigned to help the pastor in his duties to the people of the community.
Those priests currently serving here at Mount Carmel are:
|
Fr. Frank J. Fano |
Fr. Anthony Palombo |
 Fr. Mert J. Cordero Valley Hospital Chaplain |
DEACONS:
Deacons also assist the regional bishop or archbishop with the duties of the church. There are two different types of deacons in the Catholic Church.
TRANSITIONAL DEACONS: Transitional Deacons are those men who are studying to become a priest. They will serve on average one year as a deacon before being ordained a priest. Therefore, they are only a deacon for a short period of time before they transition into the role of a priest.
PERMANENT DEACONS: Permanent Deacons are those men who wish to serve God in a deeper way but for whatever reason, are not able or willing to commit to the priesthood. Many permanent deacons are married men who decide later in life they would like to serve the church in a deep way.
Deacons do receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders so they are ordained to their ministry.
RELIGIOUS SISTERS AND BROTHERS:
Some individuals are called to service in the church but either do not feel called to priesthood or the Sacrament of Holy Orders is not available to them. Many of these people will join a religious order. Most of the orders are by gender. Females will join convents and become nuns and be referred to as "Sister". Males join religious communities and are referred to as "Brothers".
These religious communities tend to follow a lifestyle set up by a Saint or follow what is known as a "charism".
A charism is a certain style, tradition or way of ministry that distinguishes the community in a specific way. For example the Salesian Order which was founded by St. John Bosco is made up of both priests and brothers. They follow the Charism of St. John Bosco which was to minister to children and teenagers.
Here are some examples of Religious Communities of Sisters or Brothers:
 Missionaries of Charity were founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Their charism is the work with the "poorest of the poor" around the world. CLICK HERE for more information on the Missionaries of Charity. |
 Dominican Friars are made up of both priests and brothers. They follow the rule set forth by St. Dominic de Guzman. Their charism is to spread with Gospel message. They are known for their preaching abilities. CLICK HERE for more information on the Dominican Friars. |
 Franciscan Friars follow the lifestyle set forth by St. Francis of Assisi known as "The Rule of St. Francis" CLICK HERE for more information of the Franciscan Friars. |
 The Little Sisters of the Poor, founded by St. Jeanne Jugan, have a very unique charism. Their main work is in caring for the elderly and infirm in the various hospitals or nursing homes they have established. CLICK HERE For more information on the Little Sisters of the Poor. |
LAY STAFF:
The next level in the many layers of the church are those who do not feel called to the priesthood or religious life but do feel called to serve God through their career. These people vary from Catholic School teachers and principals to youth ministers, directors of religious education and music directors.
PEOPLE OF GOD: 
The last category of people within the church are known as the People of God. This would be everyone else who does not fit in any of the other categories. this is also the LARGEST of all the groups. It is this group that is also the foundation of the church. If this group should leave the church the rest of the structure would come tumbling down.
ONE STEP AHEAD
PARENT SESSION RESOURCES
Here are some resources you might find helpful in discussing this session with your child. You may even learn something new yourself!
Understanding the Catholic Church Hierarchy for Dummies (article)
Who's Who in the Catholic Church (article)
Statistics on Number of bishops/cardinals/dioceses in the United States (chart)
List of Bishops and their Diocese (list - U.S. bishops only)
GOING OFF THE DEEP END
Taking Your Faith to a Deeper Level
Forbes Magazine recently did a very interesting article on Pope Francis. It is well worth a read since the pope is challenging all of us to examine how our religion impacts every aspect of our life - including our careers!
FIVE LESSONS FOR CEO'S FROM POPE FRANCIS
An article for all of us - even if you are not a CEO!
JUMPING AHEAD
Next session we will be focusing on the Paschal Mystery. This is Jesus' passion, death, resurrection and ascension and the significance of those things for our lives. We will be asking questions to discover what Jesus’ death and resurrection mean for us as Christians today and why they are so important to our faith journey. Read the article below and please discuss the questions below with your child before our next session.
THE PASCHAL MYSTERY IN EVERYDAY LIFE
1. Based off the article you just read, discuss with your child some "dyings" you have experienced in your life.
2. What is the most recent "rising" you have experienced? Share this with your child.
3. Why do you think God chose to take on flesh and become human? What was His goal?
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Take a moment to look at the picture below. Reflect on how this image puts what you have learned in this session into perspective.
