At the end of the liturgy members of parish organizations extended their best wishes to Bishop Di Marzio on his 69th birthday. After singing STO LAT, popular Polish birthday song, Bishop Di Marzio blessed the attendees on as he nodded the most memorable Father’s Day celebration he had.

Watch the picture gallery from the celebration in Shutterly.com

Another surprise occurred after the Mass, during  a reception held at the rectory for Bishop Nicholas. The guests included members of the Pastoral Council, Finance Council and other parish organizations. After a splendid breakfast, Bishop Di Marzio took a moment to speak  as well as to take questions.

A big birthday cake for the Bishop culminated the event.  Monsignor  was pleasantly surprised with this unexpected gesture and share the cake with all present.

For other details  visit St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish website

Nicholas Anthony DiMarzio was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Nicholas Sr. and Grace (née Grande) DiMarzio, both deceased. His father served in the military at the time of his birth and later worked as a health inspector for the city of Newark. All four of his grandparents emigrated to the U.S. from southern Italy. He is the oldest of three children.
DiMarzio grew up across the street from Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica, Newark, and attended the Cathedral's grammar school. He then went on to graduate from St. Benedict's Preparatory School in 1962. He attended Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Seton Hall University (1966). He holds a Bachelor's degree in Sacred Theology from The Catholic University of America (1970), a Master's in Social Work from Fordham University (1980) and a doctorate in Social Work Research and Policy from Rutgers University, New Brunswick (1985).
In 1996, Pope John Paul II elevated him to the rank of Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Newark. From 1998 until 2001 he chaired the Migration Committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Appointed the sixth Bishop of Camden June 8, 1999, Bishop DiMarzio undertook several initiatives, including establishing an Office of Ethnic Ministries, an Office of Black Catholic Ministry and an Office of Hispanic Ministry. He also created an apostolate to the Haitian community and founded two missions to serve the Korean and Vietnamese communities.
Named to lead the Brooklyn Diocese Aug. 1, 2003, after four years as the Bishop of the Diocese of Camden, Bishop DiMarzio was installed in his new See at Mass of Installation at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica, Brooklyn on Oct. 3, 2003. One of Bishop DiMarzio's first acts after his installation as Bishop of Brooklyn was to speak at the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride Rally at Flushing Meadows Park. In November 2003 he spoke before Brooklyn's Muslim community at a Ramadan celebration and attended the Fifth World Congress of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People in Rome.
He is also a certified social worker and fluent in Italian and Spanish and proficient in French.

THE STATEMENT ON HELPING THE POOR

Today is the feast day of St. Vincent DePaul, considered by many to be the “star” saint of Christian charity and concern for the poor. Many people, including those who don’t know that much about this great saint from the 17th century, know of the work of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, which is active in so many parishes and dioceses around the world bringing direct help to people in need.

Recent statistics sadly remind that today the poor do need a champion. Michael Powell, writing earlier this week in the New York Times “Gotham” blog, notes that while economic conditions have started to improve for some, there are still a shocking number of other people for whom poverty persists, if not worsens, and a recovery is nowhere in sight. The statistics are overwhelming. For instance, Powell notes that both The Bronx and Brooklyn have unemployment rates above 13 percent, and, he adds, “Fully 21 percent [of New Yorkers] live below the poverty line; median income declined in nearly every group; 1.8 million New Yorkers now rely on food stamps.”

You can find great contrasts within a few miles of each others. In some communities families are finding decent jobs and earning sufficient income to provide for themselves and their families. Thanks be to God. However, close by, many other families do not have enough to eat, face the threat of eviction because of the disparity between their income and the rent payment. One poignant statistic – in one zip code on the Eastside of Manhattan the average household income is about $101,000. In the South Bronx another zip code’s average income is about $19800.

This is not something confined to New York City, of course. The basics human needs of good jobs, food, and housing continue to challenge tens of millions throughout this country.

At the same time we are fortunate that as a society we do try to provide for those struggling. Government programs provide enormous support to poor Americans. In addition generous Americans contribute billions to charities each year. And so there is much to be grateful for.

However, two things must be said.

1) It is not enough. Even with the generosity of the American people, and the work of groups like the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and so many others, much more needs to be done, and not just by private charity. The government must continue to play its part as well.

2) There are very darks clouds. Too much rhetoric in the country portrays poor people in a very negative way. At the same time, this persistent sluggish economic and slow pace of recovery does two things that hurt the poor: it does not provide sufficient jobs for poor people to earn decent living to support themselves, and it provides less resources for government to do its part for Americans in need. This is creating a situation that is devastating to struggling families throughout the country.

As the Church celebrates the feast of St. Vincent DePaul, we affirm that the poor must receive our special attention to ensure that they have basic necessities of life. While St. Vincent de Paul may be the “star” saint, the commitment of the Church to the poor comes directly from Jesus and was first formally recognized by the appointment of deacons to cares for the Greek speaking
widows. Throughout the history of the Church there has always been a preferential option for the poor. Archbishop Charles Chaput, the Archbishop of Philadelphia, said it simply and straightforwardly: “Jesus tells us very clearly that if we don’t help the poor, we’re going to go to hell.”

This commitment and dedication continues and grows today throughout Catholic hospitals, charities and educational institutions. All of these in their own way make service to the poor the hallmark of their work in building the common good. Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn serve literally hundreds of thousands of people each year – the neglected child, the homeless family, the hungry senior, the new immigrant to our shores – through our soup kitchens, homeless shelters, family and youth services, and so much more.

There is too much finger pointing and not enough joining hands. Solidarity is critical to ensure the dignity of all.