The Deacon’s Corner
My Blogs
Reflections on faith, culture, and daily life from Deacon John.
The Queenship Of The Blessed Virgin Mary 22 August 2026
Venerable Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But Mary’s queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, Mary is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court.
In the fourth century Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen” and Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the eleventh to thirteenth centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.” The Dominican rosary and the Franciscan crown as well as numerous invocations in Mary’s litany celebrate her queenship.
The feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption and is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Venerable Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection and because of her intercessory power.
Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Pray for us!
The Feast of St. Monica August 27th 2026
Monica was born in Tagaste, present day Algeria, in 331, to a deeply Christian family of some means. She was given in marriage to Patricius, a pagan, who was a small land-owner. Together they had three children, Augustine, Navigius, and a daughter whose name is not known to us.
Strong of character as well as of faith, she sought to guide her family in their human and Christian development most of all by her own example and prayer but, when necessary, also by her persuasive words and diligent actions. Thus she brought her husband to discover the beauty of the Catholic faith, as well as the son of her many tears, Augustine. Monica figures significantly in Augustine’s journey all the way through to his eventual conversion, and is remembered in history – according to his own words – as the mother “who brought me to birth, both in her flesh, so that I was born into this temporal light, and in her heart, that I might be born into eternal light” (Conf. 8, 17).
Her great joy was to witness the baptism of Augustine, after his long and restless journey to the faith of the Church, by Bishop Ambrose in Milan in 387. Some months later, as mother and son, together with Augustine’s own son and a small group of friends were making their way back to North Africa to begin living a monastic life, Monica died at Ostia while awaiting the ship. There she was buried and in time the site of her burial was lost. Later, however, it was rediscovered and her remains were transferred to the Basilica of Saint Augustine in Rome where they are now venerated.
The Parish of St. Monica Celebration August 30th at 11 am
The Parish of St Monica celebrate her feast on 30 August 2026. There will outdoor Mass at 11 am followed by a Joyful Parish Festival.
Join us as we honor St. Monica with prayer, fellowship, food, entertainment, and games for children. Let’s all celebrate our patron saint together in faith and thanksgiving. All are invited. Family Festival Food • Entertainment • Children’s Games • Community Fun
The 25th Anniversary of 9/11
In New Jersey, 734 residents were killed in the terrorist attacks, including 150 people from the Diocese of Trenton. St. Mary Parish, Middletown, suffered the greatest loss, with more parishioners killed than any other parish in the Diocese. Other parishes profoundly affected by the tragedy included St. Leo the Great, Lincroft; Holy Cross, Rumson; St. James, Red Bank; Nativity, Fair Haven; St. Denis, Manasquan; St. Thomas More, Manalapan; and St. David the King, Princeton Junction.
Since the attacks, parishes throughout the Diocese have faithfully commemorated the anniversary each year by holding Masses, prayer services and participating in community observances.
The Diocese of Trenton will commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11 at NY’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, PA at a memorial Mass to be held at St. Mary Mother of God Church in Middletown, NJ on Friday 9/11 at 7:00 pm. The celebrant and homilist will be Bishop O’Connell joined by the priests and deacons of the Diocese. All are welcome to attend. The Mass will also be livestreamed on www.youtube.com/trentondiocese. Feel free to publish on your websites and bulletins.
Are We Chasing The Wrong Goals?
Joseph Campbell observed that life’s greatest tragedy is less about failure than about climbing the ladder of success only to discover it is leaning against the wrong wall. Bob Dylan captured a similar idea when he wrote, “You find out when you reach the top / you’re on the bottom.” We can spend our lives chasing goals that are empty—or even good goals that are not truly ours, and ultimately, not Christ’s for us. My brothers and sisters, what goals are you chasing?
Patriotism and St. Faustina
Saint Faustina earnestly offered her spiritual and physical sufferings and many prayers for reparation for her native Poland. Knowing of God’s anger towards her country, Faustina prayerfully plunged herself into the “abyss of His mercy” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1188), allowing God to bless Poland for Jesus’ sake, rather than punish it for its sin. Faustina prayed to save her beloved Poland through the Divine Mercy Chaplet, a powerful prayer taught to her by Jesus. Strength from Jesus’ Body and Blood Saint Faustina notes all throughout her Diary that it was Jesus in His Body, Blood, soul, and Divinity Who gave her every bit of strength she needed to fulfill her duties as His “Secretary of Divine Mercy.” Heaven even sent a seraph angel to deliver Holy Communion to the young mystic when she was ill and unable to go to the chapel! We absolutely need Jesus in our lives, too! Deacon John – Article from the Marian Fathers
250th Anniversary – Happy Birthday America!
In God We Trust. It appears on our currency and public buildings. For 250 years, it has reflected an enduring truth about the best version of America: we are not self-sufficient; we depend on something higher than ourselves, and our freedom is not self-made but God-given. I think when things get tough and uncertain in the world, in our communities, in our own homes we turn to God. It’s not a weakness; it’s the most American thing we can do. It honors the vision of our forefathers who built this country and it honors the soldiers who defended then and today. And it honors the God who, I believe is watching all of us. Turning to God in hard times is its own kind of patriotism. It says: we have not forgotten where our help comes from. That sense of gratitude is not only spiritual; it is visible in the way people experience this country. When visitors come here and see our communities, our celebrations, and our freedom up close, they remind us of what we sometimes stop noticing. Perhaps the greatest birthday gift that our nation has received this year comes from the ten million visitors who are traveling coast to coast, participating in World Cup festivities. They share and are living through the experiences of how wonderful it is to be here. Sometimes I think we take that for granted. Happy & Safe 4th of July to everyone & God Bless America!