Nearly 200 diocesan officials, school administrators, teachers and parents joined Bishop John M. Smith Sept. 25 for the 85th Annual Conference of the Trenton Diocesan Council of Parent-Teacher Associations.

Held in Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, the event was themed, “The Wonder of You: Joy in Leadership.” Bishop Smith thanked those present for “their support and leadership in Catholic education,” and “for being committed to the core values of the Catholic Church.”

Bishop Smith recognized the dedication of the sisters in religious communities and the laity who are working to bring the “Gospel values of peace, justice and respect for life into the secular world.”

The appreciation of the PTA boards throughout the diocese was unmistakable as members from Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean Counties gathered for brunch following the Mass. MaryEllen Deckhut, Diocesan PTA president, looks forward to the conferences annually. “It’s an opportunity for us to get together and network,” she shared, adding that it allowed members from all over the diocese a chance to gather as “one family.”

Ryan Killeen, principal of St. Paul School, Princeton, acknowledged the incredible support of the PTA for his school. “I cannot imagine St.

Paul’s School without the PTA,” he said. “Their presence is felt everyday through their fundraising and volunteering. I couldn’t imagine not having that partnership.”

Carla Maccaroni, a sophomore and peer leader in Notre Dame High School, also understands the need for a strong PTA presence. “I think it’s very important to have the parents and teachers working together,” she said, noting that their “fundraising supports the students” in their academic and extracurricular activities.

JoAnn Tier, diocesan secretary for Catholic education, thanked the PTA and acknowledged that, “Catholic schools are enhanced because of your dedication of time, energy, enthusiasm and personal resources.”

She shared that a request had been made of Catholic school children by the Haitian Apostolate to collect school supplies for the children in Haiti. “Many students have no books, but they go to school anyway to bring some normalcy to their lives.”

She thanked Bishop Smith for the impact that his “leadership and ministry have had on the lives of so many in the school community. You have invested in our schools and in the lives of our children.”

St. Joseph Sister Marie O’Hagan, the guest speaker at the conference, is certainly no stranger to the Diocese of Trenton. While currently serving as a religion teacher in Little Flower High School in Philadelphia, Sister Marie spent the past 11 years in St. Rose High School in Belmar as a religion teacher and campus minister.

She shared that by the nature of our Baptism, “all of us involved in Church ministry know the privilege and responsibility of evangelization.”

She spoke of joy as the realization that “God is God and I am not,” and that joy is the assurance that “no matter what happens in life the truth of the Resurrection is more powerful than any negativity.”

She shared her prayers for those in attendance that they, too, receive joy for “all the good you do for your own children and all the children in the kingdom of God.”

Ann Denise Rubino, PTA president of Mother Teresa Regional School, Atlantic Highlands, echoed similar sentiments as she spoke fondly of her own school community. While she has two daughters enrolled in MTRS, “We are truly a family,” she stated affectionately. “They are all our children.”