Teens Volunteer Their Time To Spruce Up Bloomfield Church

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A group of teens recently gave up some of their summer free time to do volunteer work at a church in Bloomfield.

According to the Archdiocese of Newark, the young parishioners volunteered to assist with maintenance projects at Sacred Heart Church in Bloomfield. Their efforts were part of “Days in the Diocese,” a new summer program presented by the Archdiocese’s Office for Youth & Young Adult Ministry that offers one-day service immersion experiences to archdiocesan teens throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties.

The participating high school students — who are all enrolled in a parish youth group of Confirmation program — dusted and washed the floors in 16 classrooms, removed furniture from the old convent, filled a 30-yard dumpster with garbage, and completed a literal laundry list of other cleaning work in the church basement and school auditorium.

They were joined by Manuel Cruz, the archdiocesan auxiliary bishop who represents Essex County.

“In his First Epistle to Timothy, Paul said, ‘Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity,’” Cruz said. “The teens I met truly embody this verse.”

The Saturday of service at Sacred Heart Church was the second of four “Days in the Diocese” planned for this summer. The first was held at a parish in Hudson County, while the remaining two will take place at archdiocesan sites in Union and Bergen counties.

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