COLONIA, NJ — St. Gertrude Cemetery in Colonia hosted a special Memorial Day mass honoring fallen service members and celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
The mass was one of six Memorial Day masses celebrated at cemeteries across the Archdiocese of Newark.
Catholic Bishop Elias Lorenzo spoke at St. Gertrude. At each location, veterans were invited to stand and be recognized with applause for their service. The Masses closed with all singing “God Bless America,” with many waving miniature American flags.
In addition to St. Gertrude cemetery in Colonia, masses were celebrated at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover, Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah, Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City and at Christ the King Cemetery in Franklin Lakes.
“This is our calling today: to stand together, to support the families of our fallen and to ensure that their sacrifice is never forgotten by a self-occupied world," said cardinal Joseph Tobin, the sixth archbishop of Newark.
He compared the death of American soldiers to Christ’s sacrificial death on the Cross, emphasizing the importance of unity and remembrance.
The Archdiocese of Newark serves 1.3 million Catholics across northern New Jersey’s Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties. the Archdiocese includes 211 parishes, 64 Catholic schools and numerous missions and ministries dedicated to faith formation, education and social services. For more information, visit www.rcan.org.
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