By MARY STADNYK
Associate Editor
Newark Auxiliary Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau, left, served as the keynote speaker for the 2025 Advent Spirituality Day for Priests held Dec. 16 in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square. Here he is greeted by Bishop O’Connell.
Father Kevin Hrycenko admitted that it was easy to get caught up in the many events taking place during the weeks of Advent around St. Mary of the Lakes Parish and School.
The parochial vicar of the large Medford parish enjoys the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season — the concerts, gingerbread house decorating contests, door decorating activities, a tree lighting, breakfast with Santa and helping with penance services, both in St. Mary Parish and neighboring communities. But he was grateful for the opportunity to get together with fellow priests and Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., for a Spirituality Day Dec. 16 where they focused on the spiritual meaning of Christmas and their role as priests during the Advent season.
Two Spirituality Days are held each year for priests; in addition to Advent a similar day is also held during Lent. Held in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, the 2025 Spirituality Day featured talks Newark Auxiliary Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau. The retreat master reminded the nearly 100 priest attendees, “God took on your humanity to share his divinity.”
Father Michael Wallack, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, Allentown, left, and Father Marcin Kania, parochial vicar of St. Mary Parish, Middletown, enjoy conversation during a break.
“We spend hours and days preparing our communities for Advent and Christmas,” Bishop Chau said. “We do that so our people can have a really deep, spirit-filled experience as they prepare to celebrate the Incarnation, to celebrate Christmas.”
Priests must help the faithful experience the love that God showed for his people, Bishop Chau advised. But, he added, “We preach this all the time to our people, but are you saying this to yourself?” Bishop Chau asked. “God did that for you too, not just your parishioners, and that is something we must encounter during this Advent season.”
Father Oscar Sumanga, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, and diocesan judicial vicar, remarked on the busyness of the Advent and Christmas seasons, recalling another priest’s comment that he would “take five Holy Weeks over one Christmas.”
Father Daniel Kirk, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson, and Father Kevin Hrycenko, parochial vicar of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, catch up during the Spirituality Day for Priests.
“It’s joyful but there’s also a lot going on,” Father Sumanga said. He credited the many volunteers who organize and prepare the various events.
“The volunteers are wonderful, really wonderful,” Father Sumanga said.
Father Michael Wallack, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, Allentown, acknowledged that there is always a lot to do to get the community ready for Christmas. But, he added, priests must find ways to take time “for silence and prayer with our Lord. We need to emulate him,” Father Wallack said.
Affirming the value of the Priest Spirituality Day, Father Wallack said, “As we try to prepare our people for Christmas, we also need to prepare ourselves.”
Father Mark Nillo, administrator of Our Lady of Hope Parish, West Long Branch, greets and Father Sudheesh Arogyadas, who is newly arrived to the Diocese and is assigned as parochial vicar of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Bradley Beach.