With the retirement of Bishop John M. Smith after 13 years as chief shepherd of the diocese and the appointment of Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., as his successor, 2010 was a time of new beginnings for the Diocese of Trenton.

The diocese gained national attention when then-Father O’Connell, outgoing president of The Catholic University of America, Washington, was named by Pope Benedict XVI as Coadjutor Bishop of Trenton June 4. All eyes were on St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Trenton July 30 as prominent cardinals, archbishops and bishops from around the country joined Bishop Smith for the historic episcopal ordination of Bishop O’Connell in a majestic ceremony. A year of big news was capped off when Pope Benedict accepted the resignation of Bishop Smith Dec. 1, officially making Bishop O’Connell the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton.

As the transition in leadership topped headlines during the second half of the year, the ministry of the Church of Trenton continued to grow through ordinations, parish and school expansions and other milestones. The following is a collection of some of the highlights of 2010 in the four counties of the Diocese of Trenton (Click links to revisit the full stories in our archives, as well as photo galleries and video!):

OUR DIOCESE

Our Bishops

• June 4: Pope Benedict XVI appoints then-Vincentian Father David M. O’Connell as coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, to succeed Bishop John M. Smith upon his retirement.
• June 23: Bishop Smith celebrates his 75th birthday, the age at which bishops are required by canon law to submit their resignation.
• July 30: Bishop Smith, joined by four cardinals and more than 40 bishops and archbishops, ordains Bishop O’Connell to the episcopacy in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. (CLICK HERE for photo gallery from the ordination Mass)
• Dec. 1: Bishop O’Connell succeeds Bishop Smith as 10th Bishop of Trenton upon the pope’s acceptance of Bishop Smith’s resignation.
• Bishop Smith receives a number of awards and honors for his years of faithful leadership, including an award from La Salle University, Philadelphia, and the diocesan Office of Catechesis’  “Chick” McGinty Award for Excellence in Catechetical Leadership.
• September: Bishop O’Connell is among the newly ordained bishops to meet with Pope Benedict XVI during a meeting for new members of the episcopate in Rome.
• Oct. 16: Bishop O’Connell makes his first address to the Diocesan Pastoral Council during a meeting in St. Joan of Arc Church, Marlton.
• Dec. 8: Bishop O’Connell celebrates his first Mass in the St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral as Bishop of Trenton for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. (PHOTOS | VIDEO)

Diocesan Developments

• January: In response to the earthquake in Haiti, Bishop Smith joins other dioceses nationwide in calling for a collection to support the recovery effort; the Haitian Apostolate continues efforts throughout the year with parishes and schools to support the people of Haiti.
• March 26: A groundbreaking ceremony is held to mark the start of a 13,250-square-foot expansion to Villa Vianney, Lawrenceville, the diocesan home for retired priests.
• June 21-28: The second diocesan “Building Bridges” delegation travels to the Diocese of San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic. (PHOTOS)
• August: Cynthia Casciola-Kitts, who previously served in the Diocese of Brooklyn, is appointed new associate director of elementary schools. Casciola-Kitts replaces Donna Bacsik, who left the diocesan office to return to a school setting as principal of Our Lady of Sorrows School, Hamilton.
• Oct. 10: With a new name and a new co-host, the diocesan Hispanic Apostolate’s television show “Cristo Para Todos” premiers.
• Dec. 12: A new class of 15 men and women are commissioned as lay ecclesial ministers by Bishop O’Connell.
• December: The Office of Evangelization and Parish Development’s popular Christmas Carol Festivals spread to 14 different parishes, drawing record numbers of participants. (PHOTOS | VIDEO)

Diocesan Events

• Feb. 14: Fifth annual celebration of World Marriage Day held at the Breakers in Spring Lake. (PHOTOS from World Marriage Day events)
• Feb. 21: Bishop Smith welcomes 180 catechumens on their way to entering the Catholic Church during the Rite of Election in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. Parishes around the diocese also formally welcomed candidates for full initiation in the Catholic Church with the Call to Continuing Conversion.
• March 20: Diocesan Catechetical Conference, entitled “Proclaiming Christ to All,” is attended by 600-plus at Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft.
• April 13: Bishop Smith presides over 11th annual Blue Mass for law enforcement in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. (PHOTO GALLERY)
• April 24: The diocese hosts the first annual Re:IMAGE Film Festival in Asbury Park, featuring guest speaker John Crowley and screening an array of films containing faith-inspired messages. (VIDEO)
• Aug. 27-29: The fifth annual Hispanic Charismatic Revival in St. Joseph Church, Trenton, draws crowds of 600-900 participants for three consecutive days. (PHOTOS)
• Oct. 17: Bishop Smith celebrates a Mass honoring Mount Carmel Guild, Trenton, for its 90 years of service to the poor and needy in Mercer County.
• Dec. 4: Bishop O’Connell presides at annual Gaudium et Spes Mass in St. Gregory the Great Church, Hamilton Square. Five awards and more than 20 certificates of recognition are presented to individuals and organizations who serve in ministries of social justice throughout the diocese. (CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS)

Awards

• April 21: John Boucher, director of the Office of Evangelization and Parish Development, and wife Therese receive the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership’s “New Wineskins” award for their development of the Christmas Carol Festival.
• June: The Monitor wins seven Catholic Press Awards at the 2010 Catholic Press Association Convention in New Orleans. The awards received were: Best Reporting on Children, third place; Best General News Photo, third place; Best Stand-Alone Newspaper Website, second place; Best Online Blog, second place, for Lois Rogers’ “Keeping the Feast” blog; Most Effective Single Promotion Piece to Build Website Traffic, first place; Best Circulation Promotion Campaign Designed to Drive Traffic to the Publication’s Website, first place.
• Sept. 25: El Centro de Recursos Para Familias, a program of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton, is one of three recipients of Catholic Charities USA’s Family Strengthening Award during the agency’s centennial gathering in Washington, D.C.

Personnel in Ministry

• April: Papal honors are conferred on two priests of the Diocese of Trenton; Msgr. James Brady, pastor of St. Dominic Parish, Brick, and Msgr. Sam Sirianni, pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold, and director of the diocesan Office of Worship. The two priests were named by Pope Benedict XVI as Chaplains of His Holiness with the title of monsignor.
• May 8: Bishop Smith ordains 14 men to the permanent diaconate in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral. They are Deacons Peter Ilsoo Barng, Patrick R. Brannigan, Bryan P. Davis, Robert Gay, Walter J. Karpecik Jr., Anthony Mammoliti, Robert M. McKenna, Richard L. Morris, William R. Mueller, Christopher J. Murphy, Rodolfo A. Santos, Terence W. Sikoryak, Andrew W. Smith, and Nicola Stranieri.
• May 15: Bishop Smith ordains seven men to the transitional diaconate in Mary Mother of God Church, New Monmouth. The transitional deacons, who will be ordained to the priesthood in 2011, are Rev. Messrs. H. Todd Carter, Carlos Castilla, Carlos Florez, Fernando Lopez, Christopher P. Picollo, Kevin J. Kimtis and John J. Testa.
• June 5: Five men are ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Smith in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton; Father Roberto Padilla, assigned to Our lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton; Father Marcin Kania, St. Leo the Great, Lincroft; Father Matthew Riedlinger, St. Aloysius, Jackson; Father Michael Hall, St. Barnabas, Bayville and Father Ricardo Benitez, Jesus the Good Shepherd, Riverside. (Ordination PHOTOS)
• July 8: The Monitor publishes a special edition celebrating significant anniversaries of priests, religious and deacons of the diocese. Five priests were recognized for 50 years of ministry, three priests marked 25 years of ministry and more than 40 additional priests celebrated milestones of five to 70 years. In addition, 38 religious marked their jubilee years and 66 deacons celebrated anniversaries.
• August: A group of 11 new seminarians begin their formation for the priesthood in the Diocese of Trenton.
• Sept. 19: Sixteen men were accepted as candidates for permanent diaconate by Bishop John M. Smith during Mass in St. James Church, Pennington.

In Remembrance

• Priests who died in 2010 include: Father John B. Cook, Jan. 4; Father M. Joseph Mokrzycki, Jan. 25; Father Joseph W. Kukura, Feb. 1; Father William P. Gardner, April 26; Msgr. Henry S. Bogdan, July 18; Father Anthony Hemphill, Aug. 5; Father George M. Albano, Sept. 5; Father William C. Anderson, Oct. 2; Father William J. Nolan, Dec. 18.
• Deacons who died in 2010 were: Deacon Martin R. Hemberger, Jan. 3; Deacon John Michael DeValue, Jan. 8; Deacon Louis C. Restivo, Feb. 21; Deacon James Buchanan, March 9; Deacon John F. Groffie, June 18; Deacon Edward Moresco, July 23; Deacon Dennis Raymond O’Brien, Aug. 13; Deacon Robert D. Machion, Sept. 21; Deacon James P. Cook, Nov. 3; Deacon Leonard B. Kruk, Dec. 2; Deacon John J. Haney, Dec. 14.

OUR PARISHES

Blessings & Dedications

• Feb. 13: Bishop Smith presides at the dedication of the new 12,600-square-foot Holy Family Catechetical Center in St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Marlton.
• March 7: Bishop Smith blesses a new elevator in St. Anthony Church, Hamilton, and the newly renovated Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Hamilton.
• Aug. 29: Msgr. Gregory D. Vaughan, diocesan vicar general, blesses a new elevator in Visitation Church, Brick Town.
• Sept. 25: Bishop Smith presides at the blessing of new parish center at St. Mary of the Pines, Manahawkin. (PHOTOS)
• Oct. 3: A new faith formation center in St. Theresa Parish, Little Egg Harbor, is blessed by Bishop Smith.
• Oct. 6: Bishop Smith visits St. Veronica Parish, Howell, to bless the church’s new narthex.
• Nov. 21: St. David the King Parish, West Windsor, marks the opening of their new faith formation center and Great Hall with a Mass and dedication celebrated by Bishop Smith.

Parish Celebrations

• March 15: Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Trenton, marks five years since the merger of St. Joachim and Immaculate Conception parishes.
• June 20: St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, celebrates 125th anniversary.
• July 16: Our Lady of the Angels, Trenton, hosts an international delegation of Religious Teachers Filippini during the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the order’s arrival in the U.S.
• Aug. 25: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Asbury Park, sponsors a local celebration of 100th anniversary of the birth of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.
• Sept. 12: St. Andrew Parish, Jobstown, marks 130 years.
• Oct. 10: St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, Berkeley Township, celebrates 25 years.
• Sept. 25: St. William the Abbot Parish, Howell, celebrates 25th anniversary
• Oct. 3: Divine Mercy Parish, Trenton, celebrates fifth anniversary of establishment from the merger of Holy Cross, St. Stanislaus and Sts. Peter and Paul Parishes. The event also marks the 120th anniversary of the founding of St. Stanislaus Parish and the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the current Holy Cross Church.

OUR SCHOOLS

Accomplishments

• June 12: Christian Brothers Academy, Lincroft, celebrates its 50th anniversary. The school also began the second phase of a building expansion project in honor of their anniversary to include a new library, media/technical center, labs and classrooms.
• February: Incarnation-St. James School, Ewing, launches a “Save Our School” campaign to prevent its closing. After raising $127,000 in less than one month and implementing a strategic plan for enrollment growth, the school announces April 21 that it will remain open (includes video).
• September: Red Bank Catholic High School opens new 32,000-square-foot student center.
• Sept. 9: St. Ann School, Lawrenceville, is named a national 2010 Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education. The school is recognized during a national ceremony in Washington in November and hosts a local celebration Nov. 22 attended by Bishop Smith, Bishop O’Connell and many community leaders.
• Sept. 9: Father Ian Trammell blesses a new playground at St. Gregory the Great School, Hamilton Square, which replaces the previous playground destroyed in a fire.
• Oct. 8: Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, dedicates a new turf football field.

Personnel Changes

• August: As a new school year begins, 10 schools welcome new principals. Five former principals of schools in the diocese retire after years of service in Catholic education.
• August: Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, adopts a principal-president leadership model, with former Notre Dame principal Barry Breen returning as president to oversee marketing and development efforts and principal Mary Liz Ivins continuing in her role of overseeing academic affairs.
• October: Vincent L. Grassia Jr. is named chairperson of the Diocesan Educational Advisory Council.

Sports

• March: The boys and girls basketball teams of Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, both win state championships, and the boys team goes on to win the state Tournament of Champions March 23 in the Izod Center, East Rutherford.
• March 27: Our Lady of Sorrows School, Hamilton, takes top honors in both the varsity and JV levels during the first CYO Cheerleading Competition in the Mercer CYO Center, Trenton.
• November: Trenton Catholic Academy’s boys soccer team goes undefeated in the regular season and finishes 21-1, their best record in school history. Junior Emmanuel Temeh sets a Mercer County record with 46 goals for the season.

YOUTH/YOUNG ADULTS

• Feb. 28: Hundreds of teens from around the diocese attend the Diocesan Youth Celebration 2010, “Communication in Creation,” held in Holy Innocents School, Neptune. (PHOTO SLIDESHOW)
• April 17: Young people are encouraged to enliven their faith during the third annual diocesan Hispanic Apostolate gathering, “Atrevete a Seguir a Jesus (Dare to Follow Jesus)” in St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown.
• May 16: Local teens join youth from four other New Jersey dioceses for statewide youth rally at Great Adventure theme park.
• Aug. 10: Youth from 10 different area parishes gather for “Come to the Water,” a day of spiritual reflection and summer fun in Spring Lake.
• Oct. 23: Bishop O’Connell joins Catholic college students from The College of New Jersey, Ewing, and Monmouth University, West Long Branch, for a day-long fall retreat held in St. James Parish, Pennington.

PEOPLE

• January: After making international headlines for his role in reuniting David Goldman with his nine-year-old son Sean, Congressman Chris Smith tells The Monitor that his Catholic faith played a strong role in his efforts.
• June: After 22 years as executive director of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton, Francis E. Dolan announces that he will retire from his position effective March 11, 2011.
• Oct. 1: Mary Catherine and Robert Southwick, parishioners of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown, are honored for their many years of community service with the Richard J. Hughes Humanitarian Award during the annual Catholic Charities Guardian Angel Dinner Dance in Princeton.
• Oct. 30: Getsemani, a Christian rock group comprised of local Catholics, perform a concert recorded for a DVD release in Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, featuring songs from the band’s third album, “Al Ritmo de mi Corazon.”

FAITH IN ACTION

• Jan. 7: A bill which would have legalized same-sex marriage in New Jersey fails in the New Jersey Senate. The defeat is attributed in part to a strong campaign by the state’s bishops and Catholics across New Jersey, who voiced their opposition of the bill to legislators on the basis that marriage should be defined as a union of one man and one woman.
• Jan. 22: A delegation of more than 1,000 Catholics from the Diocese of Trenton join the largest crowd ever to descend upon Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life. Many others simultaneously show their support for protecting the unborn during the Rally for Life at the State House in Trenton. (VIDEO)
• May 7: The New Jersey Catholic bishops issue a statement in support of the Opportunity Scholarship Act, a bill that would use tax credits to provide children in failing public school districts with the option of attending the school of their choice. The bill passes the Senate Economic Growth Committee in a hearing attended by many Catholic supporters May 13, but stalls in the Budget and Appropriations Committee.
• June 3: The bishops issue a letter to the New Jersey legislature urging them to insure the availability of affordable housing for all of the state’s residents.