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Continued from above:
Also in attendance were a host of priests, deacons, seminarians and religious from almost every parish in
the three counties that comprise the Paterson Diocese – Morris, Sussex and Passaic. A luncheon followed the Mass at the Hanover Marriott in East Hanover.
Students of Morris Catholic High School in Denville accompanied the Bishop as altar servers and
lectors. The Mass was recorded then aired Sunday at 5:30 a.m. on "The Sunday Mass on TV" on Channel 5, and throughout cable stations in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island.
"When I was ordained, there was an implicit assumption that priests were set apart from everyone
else," said Bishop Rodimer during his homily. "Over the years, we became more aware of the truth that Jesus calls us to be servants and to collaborate with those we serve, recognizing their gifts and challenging
them to use their gifts, as St. Paul says, for the common good. 'The Son of Man comes not to be served, but to serve,' Jesus said, and, after washing their feet, told his disciples to do what he did. Serving people
is what Jesus did, and doing what Jesus did is a privilege."
Bishop Rodimer was born and raised in Rockaway. His home parish is St. Cecelia's. Prior to his
ordination, he attended Seton Hall Prep School, South Orange, St. Charles College, Catonsville, Md.; St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore; Immaculate Conception Seminary, Darlington; and Catholic University of America,
Washington, D.C.
He received the degree of Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Catholic University, and returned
there after his ordination for graduate studies. He received his doctorate in Canon Law in 1954. In June 1954, he was appointed assistant chancellor of the diocese and secretary of the Diocesan Tribunal. In November
1959, he served as a diocesan representative on the editorial board of The Advocate, the weekly newspaper of the Newark Archdiocese.
Bishop Rodimer was appointed diocesan chancellor in December 1964. When Bishop Lawrence Casey
resigned as the Bishop of Paterson for health reasons in June 1977, the then Msgr. Frank Rodimer was elected by the Board of Consultors to be the administrator of the diocese. He held this position until his
appointment as the sixth Bishop of Paterson on Dec. 13, 1977.
Highlighted here will be only a small sample of some of his activities and accomplishments since his
appointment as bishop.
Since he was ordained a bishop, Bishop Rodimer has written a weekly column for the
diocesan newspaper, the Beacon, where he addresses topics of current interest, as well as issues of faith and worship.
On Dec. 9, 1987, the Paterson Diocese celebrated its 50th anniversary. To mark this special event, Bishop Rodimer commissioned a full-scale history of the Catholic Church in northwest New Jersey beginning with the church's infancy in the 18th century and carrying through to the present. This book is entitled "Living Stones."
Now serving for more than 23 years as the Bishop of Paterson, Bishop Rodimer has visited Rome five
times to present the Diocese of Paterson's Ad Limina (state of the diocese/progress) report to the Holy Father. His latest papal visit was March 1998.
Last year, he led the people and parishes of the diocese in a major capital campaign
known as Prepare the Way. On a campaign goal of $40 million, more than $64 million has been pledged to the work of the diocese and its 111 parishes to strengthen the Church of Paterson in the third millennium. This
generous response is the largest sum ever pledged to a diocesan capital campaign in the history of the state.
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