Pope
John Paul II Honors 5 Archdiocesan Priests as Monsignors
His
Holiness Pope John Paul II has recently bestowed the honorary title
of Reverend Monsignor upon five priests of the Archdiocese of Newark.
The
rank of Monsignor honors a priest with one of three different titles:
Chaplain to his Holiness, Prelate of Honor, and Protonotary Apostolic.
Elevated
to the post of Prelate of Honor were: Reverend Monsignor Paul L.
Bochicchio, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Virgin Parish, Garfield;
Reverend Monsignor George C. Lutz, Pastor of St. James Parish in
Newark; Reverend Monsignor Ronald J. Marczewski, Pastor of St. Adalbert
and Administrator of St. Patrick Parish, both in Elizabeth, and
Reverend Monsignor Martin F. O'Brien, Rector of St. Andrew College
Seminary, Seton Hall University, South Orange.
The
title of Chaplain to His Holiness was bestowed upon Reverend Monsignor
James S. Choma, Pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Clark.
In
commenting on these new honors, the Most Reverend Paul G. Bootkoski,
Administrator of the Archdiocese of Newark, stated, "It is with
great happiness that I announce these Papal appointments. I know
that all of the clergy of the Archdiocese of Newark join me in celebrating
this well-deserved recognition."
The
formal investiture of the new Monsignors will take place at the
Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Clifton and Victoria Avenues,
Newark, on Sunday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m.
Editor's
Note: See attached for brief biographies of the newly appointed
monsignors
Reverend Monsignor Paul L. Bochicchio
Born
in New York City and raised in Summit, NJ, Msgr. Bochicchio earned
his bachelor's degree from Seton Hall University in 1967. He was
ordained an Archdiocesan priest in May 1971, and served as parochial
vicar of Our Lady of Mercy, Jersey City, from 1971-1983. He also
worked as Director of the Office of Vocations of the Archdiocese
from 1977-1980, and as campus minister and religion teacher of Roselle
Catholic High School from 1983-1985. Msgr. Bochicchio was Pastor
of Holy Rosary, Jersey City, from 1985-1992 and served as Archdiocesan
Vicar for Personnel in Ministry from 1986-1988. He was a member
of the Vocations Board from 1986-87, Archbishop's Delegate to the
Priest's Personnel Policy Board from 1988-1992, and Dean of Jersey
City Downtown, Deanery 11. In 1999, Msgr. Bochicchio was appointed
Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Virgin, Garfield, and most recently,
was appointed Consultor of the Archdiocese of Newark.
Reverend
Monsignor George C. Lutz
A Nutley native raised in Newark, Monsignor Lutz was ordained in
May 1962. He served ten years at St. Agnes, Clark before moving
in 1972 to Holy Spirit Parish, Orange. In 1979, he was named Pastor
of St. Peter Claver, Montclair. Monsignor Lutz became Pastor of
St. James, Newark, in 1996. Monsignor Lutz has spent 25 years serving
urban areas, including multi-cultural communities. In 1996, he was
appointed coordinator of the Brazilian Apostolate, and in 1997,
was appointed Dean of the Ironbound Deanery, Deanery 21.
Reverend
Monsignor Ronald J. Marczewski
Born in Bayonne and raised in Roselle Park, Monsignor Marczewski
was ordained in May 1974 after completing his studies at Immaculate
Conception Seminary, Seton Hall Pope John Paul II Honors 5 New Monsignors
page 3 of 4 University. He was named Parochial Vicar St. Adalbert,
Elizabeth, where he served until 1980. From 1980-1990, Monsignor
Marczewski was assigned to Catholic Campus Ministry at the Newman
Center, Newark, which serves Rutgers University, NJIT, and Essex
County College. He was Archdiocesan Director of Campus Ministry
from 1982-1990. In 1987, he completed a master's degree in Spirituality
from Fordham University. In 1991, Monsignor Marczewski was named
Chaplain of Essex Catholic High School, East Orange, where he taught
religion and moderated the senior Peer Ministry program. In 1995,
he became Director of the Archdiocesan Young Adult Ministry; in
1996, he was appointed Administrator and then Pastor of St. Adalbert,
Elizabeth. Most recently, Monsignor Marczewski was appointed Administrator
of the Church of St. Patrick, Elizabeth, and also Episcopal Vicar
for Union County, Deaneries 24 & 25.
Reverend
Monsignor Martin F. O'Brien
Born and raised in Hoboken, Monsignor O'Brien was ordained in June
of 1952, having first attended Seton Hall University and then Immaculate
Conception Seminary at Seton Hall. For twelve years he taught children
with developmental disabilities. He was then appointed as the first
executive secretary of the Archdiocesan Personnel Board, serving
from 1968 to 1973. He was appointed to St. Michael, Palisades Park,
from 1973 to 1976, and during that time was elected Dean of Southeast
Bergen. He served at St. Thomas the Apostle, Bloomfield, for 16
years, and in 1976, was appointed Pastor of Queen of Peace Parish,
North Arlington. In 1978, Monsignor O'Brien became Associate Pastor
of Sacred Heart Church, Haworth, and was named Pastor of that same
parish in 1985. In 1990, he was appointed Dean of the Northeast
Bergen Deanery, Deanery 2, for a term of three years, and in 1991,
he was named coordinator of pastoral assignments of Archdiocesan
Transitional Deacons. In 1993, Archbishop McCarrick officially appointed
Monsignor O'Brien as Director of Field Education for Immaculate
Conception Seminary. In 2000, he was re-elected to the Archdiocesan
Priest Personnel Policy Board. Most recently, Monsignor O'Brien
was formally installed as the seventh Rector of the College Seminary
of St. Andrew in South Orange.
Reverend
Monsignor James S. Choma
Born and raised in Bayonne, Msgr. Choma graduated from St. Peter's
College, Jersey City in 1982 with a BS in computer science. While
completing his undergraduate studies, he also worked for IBM in
Franklin Lakes, NJ. After graduation, he entered Immaculate Conception
Seminary in Mahwah, where he worked to receive a Master of Divinity
in Pastoral Ministry. In November on 1986, Msgr. Choma was among
the first to be ordained by Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick; thereafter,
he began his ministry as Parochial Vicar of Holy Family Church,
Nutley. In 1988, he was assigned the position of Executive Director
for the Archdiocesan Catholic Youth Organization. In June of 1992,
Monsignor Choma was appointed Secretary to the Archbishop. After
two years in that capacity, he was named the Director of Vocations
for the Archdiocese. In June of 1997, Monsignor Choma was assigned
to his current position as Executive Director of Development for
the Archdiocese. Additional responsibilities include serving as
Assistant Chaplain for Legatus in NJ, and as a board member of The
Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children. Most recently, he was
made Pastor of St. Agnes, Clark.
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2000
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