The St. Rose faith community joyfully welcomed Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., March 19 as he celebrated Mass to mark the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary with concelebrants pastor Msgr. Edward Arnister and parochial vicar Father John Paul Del Rosario. The St. Rose High School gym was filled with grammar and high school students clad in blue and gold, faculty of both schools and members of the parish eager to celebrate the feast day and the opportunity to honor the Sisters of St. Joseph religious who serve the Belmar Catholic community. Also present was Mercy Sister Donna D’Alia, parish catechetical leader, who resides in the Belmar convent.
In his homily, the Bishop advised the students to follow the example of St. Joseph – a hard worker, protector of Jesus and Mary, obedient and trusting in God’s guidance.
PHOTO GALLERY: Bishop’s Mass for the Solemnity of St. Joseph in Belmar
PHOTO GALLERY: Blessing of the St. Joseph’s Table- Joe’s Deli, Spring Lake
“St. Joseph had a very important job,” Bishop O’Connell said.
“What does this teach us? It shows us that we can trust God, just like St. Joseph did,” he said. “Sometimes, God might ask us to do things that feel a little scary or difficult, but when we trust God and do what He asks, amazing things can happen.”
Bishop O’Connell concluded, “What can we learn from St. Joseph today? We can learn to be helpful without expecting a reward; we can learn to listen to God and trust Him even when it’s hard, and we can learn that true strength comes from love.”
A highlight of the Mass was the renewal of vows by those who serve the St. Rose parish and schools in many roles – Sisters of St. Joseph Therese Dowd, Lois Jablonski, Marie O’Hagan, Joyce Valese and Jeanette Weychert, and Sister Donna. Members of the high school senior class presented the women with floral bouquets.
The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia trace their origins and spirit to six women who came together in 1650 in war-ravaged LePuy, France, with great desires for union with God, among themselves and with their neighbors, explains the order’s website. They were among the first to create religious life for women outside cloister.
Students present the Sisters who reside in St. Rose Parish Convent, Belmar, with flowers following the Mass the Bishop celebrated March 19. Mike Ehrmann photo
The congregation flourished until the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. In 1836, the rejuvenated order began its work in St. Louis, Mo.; subsequent groups gained a toehold all over the United States and Canada. The Sisters arrived at St. Rose High School at the invitation of Bishop Thomas J. Walsh in 1923.
Robert J. Dougherty, a 2005 alumnus of St. Rose High School, asserted the Sisters of St. Joseph played a profound role in shaping his formative years. Now serving as the school’s principal, he maintained the religious “instilled in me a deep appreciation for faith, service, and the importance of community – values that remain at the heart of Catholic education [and] a tangible connection to the mission and identity of our school, reinforcing the values of service, unity, and love of God.”
Calling the high school’s director of spirituality and Catholic identity support, Sister of St. Joseph Marie O’Hagan, “truly transformative,” Dougherty added, “She has a remarkable ability to make faith accessible and relatable to students, drawing them closer to God and inspiring them to serve others. Through her warmth, wisdom, and genuine care, she fosters an environment where faith is not just taught but lived.
“Sister Marie’s presence, along with the lasting influence of the SSJs in our greater community, is a powerful reminder that Catholic education extends beyond academics – it is about forming individuals who lead with compassion, integrity, and a deep sense of purpose.”
Sister Marie, in turn, stated the Mass, as well as ongoing interactions with the entire St. Rose community, served as affirmation of her life’s work. She referenced St. Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews to describe the spiritual presence of religious sisters past and present at the Mass.
“‘We were surrounded by a cloud of witnesses’ – there was a deep sense of the sisters who are here, who were present but have gone to heaven, or the [order’s retirement] villa or elsewhere,” Sister Marie said. “We felt that, and the students I was talking to [the following day] felt that and were taken by it…We are very, very welcoming here, and it is important for them to see that this life is viable and a life for them.”
Msgr. Arnister was pleased to say the Mass marked “a very historical day” for it was the first time both schools to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph together.
Often, the schools are together for Mass during Catholic Schools Week, and “we’re looking for more opportunities for them to be together, to show that we are one family here at St. Rose,” he said. “It worked out for them to be together for the Feast of St. Joseph and to have Bishop O’Connell present made for a very joyful occasion.”
After the Mass, Bishop O’Connell, Msgr. Arnister and Father Del Rosario continued the feast day celebration at Joe’s Deli in Spring Lake where Bishop O’Connell blessed the St. Joseph Table that was filled with a variety of tasty sweets. Present for the blessing, which is a nine-year deli tradition, was Joe Valentino, owner and a parishioner of Christ the King Parish, Long Branch; town officials, and Msgr. Sam Sirianni, rector of St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold.
“Usually, Monsignor Ed does the blessing but told me this year the Bishop would. You couldn’t fit another person in here,” Valentino said, describing the scene. “Having the Bishop here was so special. He was greeting everyone and blessing babies.”
Valentino recalled his Sicilian grandmother preparing many of the traditional foods on the St. Joseph Table, which included meatless dishes (since the feast falls during Lent) with breadcrumbs (representing sawdust, since St. Joseph was a carpenter), fava beans (believed to have saved Sicily from drought during the Middle Ages;) , lemons and pastries such as zeppole and Pane di San Giuseppe, or St. Joseph’s Bread baked in a round loaf and engraved with a cross. “The town looks forward to it every year,” he said. “I don’t want to give it up.”
Following the Mass in St. Rose High School, Bishop O’Connell, Msgr. Edward Arnister, parish pastor, and Father John Paul Del Rosario, parochial vicar, ventured over to Joe’s Deli in Spring Lake, where Bishop O’Connell blessed the St. Joseph Table that was filled with sweets. Deli owner Joe Valentino is a member of Christ the King Parish, Long Branch. Courtesy photo