Bishop Dennis Sullivan preaches the homily during the Catholic Business Network of South Jersey Communion Breakfast Oct. 8 in Cherry Hill. (Photo by Mike Walsh)
After spending the morning with Catholic business leaders from across the Diocese and beyond, Jackie Kern wore a smile that shone through her eyes.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to be with the community, see what they are looking for in their businesses,” said Kern, advancement director of Saint Mary School, Williamstown. “We [Catholic schools] are preparing our students to go out into the world … and it’s wonderful to know there are businesses out there making their Catholic faith a priority and showing kindness and concern for their own employees and the people that they serve.”
Kern was among the 30-plus businessmen and women to attend the Catholic Business Network of South Jersey Communion Breakfast Oct. 8 in Cherry Hill. The morning began with Mass celebrated by Bishop Dennis Sullivan and included a keynote talk by Dr. Bill Watson, diocesan head of the Secretariat for Catholic Education and superintendent of Catholic schools.
In his talk, Dr. Watson spoke on “Preparing the Next Generation, even – and especially – in trying times.”
“I think that is an important topic for this group because our schools are preparing the next generation of Catholics, of business leaders,” he said, leading into a presentation on what that preparation has entailed during the pandemic. He shared success stories of steady Catholic school enrollment, high SAT scores, hands-on learning projects and examples of student ingenuity.
“We really are preparing the next generation of Catholic citizens ,” Dr. Watson said. “We could talk about Catholics in the Church, Catholics who make decisions as business leaders and as other members as society, as voters. The single most important thing we do, though, and I think Pope Saint John Paul II says it well, ‘Catholic education above all is a question of communicating Christ, of helping to form Christ in the lives of others.’”
“Being together in community matters, and welcoming, embracing and acknowledging the grace of God present is the engine that drives Catholic schools,” he continued. “We do that because that is who we are. Catholic education is above all about communicating Christ.”
Communicating Christ was among the messages preached by Bishop Dennis Sullivan as well. During his homily, he reflected on the day’s first reading from the First Book of Joel, which speaks of the judgement of God.
“It’s a powerful message … the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of weeping and mourning and darkness and gloom,” the Bishop said. “But I say it’s not a day to be dreaded. If you’re right with God, don’t dread it. I’m not saying be perfect … none of us are perfect. I’m not saying be without sin. I’m saying live right with God – in our families, in our communities, in our businesses, in who we are and in what we do.”
That message rang true for Gabriella McCloskey, who is new in her position as director of institutional advancement for Paul VI High School, Haddonfield.
“I love that we start each day with prayer. It centers me for the day,” McCloskey said. After being in the secular workforce for years, working in a faith-based environment is freeing, she said, describing the first time she walked by the school chapel. “I felt like I was somewhere I could come and take a deep breath.”
Bill Kline, formerly senior vice president and corporate secretary of WSFS Bank, has been a member of the Catholic Business Network of South Jersey for about five years.
“Having a Catholic group and common background is a nice connection to help support each other,” he said. “I have always found the meetings very enjoyable and informative. Even though I’m recently retired, I wanted to stay active with the group. I think it’s a great resource for business contacts as well as a great group of people.”
Meeting new people was one of the reasons McCloskey said she wanted to attend the event, not just in the Diocese, but the community as well.
Added Kern, “This is a great networking opportunity of likeminded people with wonderful speakers sharing knowledge and faith.”
Learn more about the Catholic Business Network of South Jersey at cbnsj.org.
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