Mercy Sister Catherine C. Darcy grew up in Red Bank, where she attended the town’s St. James School and Red Bank Catholic High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Georgian Court College, now University, Lakewood, and a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University of Chicago.

Sister Catherine, a canon lawyer, earned her doctor of cannon law (JCD) degree from St. Paul University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; a doctoral degree (PhD) in canon law from the University of Ottawa, Canada, and a licentiate in canon law (JCL) from The Catholic University of America, Washington.

Sister Catherine entered the convent as a 20-year-old in 1970, professing perpetual vows as a Sister of Mercy in 1978.

In the Diocese of Trenton, Sister Catherine served for five years as a judge of the diocesan Tribunal and was a canon law instructor in a training program for permanent deacons from 1994 to 1995. She served in various parishes of the Diocese, including some as a pastoral associate, and as a consultant to the diocesan synod implementation committee from 1992 to 1996. She also taught religion and mathematics in Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville.

Over the course of her ministry, she has served as chancellor, judge and administrative director of the tribunal in the Diocese of Las Cruces, N.M., for eight years, and as an adjunct professor of canon law in Georgian Court University, Lakewood, where she was also the director of the Office of Service Learning. She was named as vice chancellor of the Diocese of Camden and a tribunal judge in 2009. In 2017, she was named director of mission integration at Mercy Hospital Ada, part of the Mercy network of hospitals and clinics.

Sister Catherine has also served on several social justice committees in both her religious congregation and diocesan assignments, including working on migration concerns at the U.S./Mexico border.

Conventual Franciscan Brother Jim Moore

Brother Jim Moore grew up in an Irish-Italian family in Syracuse, N.Y., with four siblings.

He credited the influence of elementary and secondary school teachers – the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet – for inspiring his own call to the Franciscan community.

Brother Jim entered the Conventual Franciscan Friars on Sept. 5, 1968, as a religious brother, accepting the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. He made his first profession of vows in 1970. He currently serves in St. Junipero Serra Parish, Seaside Park, and is friary guardian.

He has served as a high school teacher, vocation director, formation director, university campus minister and spiritual director. Brother Jim also served on his Franciscan community’s leadership team.

“I was also fortunate to be the founder of a yearlong, nonprofit volunteer service program for young adults (FrancisCorps),” he noted.

“God has certainly been good,” he continued.