The Church in New Jersey

Cardinal Joseph Tobin will speak at the International Catholic Stewardship Conference in New Orleans from September 20 to 23.

The cardinal plans to discuss stewardship, synodality, and transformational giving. He intends to explain each concept individually and describe how they connect to help the Church carry out its mission according to the Gospel.

In a message from the Archdiocese of Newark, Tobin noted that these terms are often misunderstood. Regarding stewardship, he referenced the 1992 pastoral letter from the U.S. bishops, which identifies four characteristics of Christian stewardship: gratitude, accountability, generosity, and the willingness to give back to the Lord with increase. Tobin emphasized that gratitude is the first step, noting that a thankful perspective helps prevent bitterness and resentment.

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin established a Parish Mission Renewal Office to support the We Are His Witnesses initiative within the Archdiocese of Newark. The office will help parishes implement missionary discipleship and advance pastoral renewal throughout the archdiocese.

The office will initially assist parishes participating in the Parish Mission Partners phase of the multiyear initiative. It intends to accompany these communities as they find ways to collaborate more closely and strengthen their shared mission to serve the faithful. Cardinal Tobin stated that the office will provide consistent and practical support to help parishes discern how to best serve their communities.

We Are His Witnesses launched in June 2025 to guide the archdiocese through pastoral conversion. The initiative draws inspiration from the Word of God and the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium by Pope Francis. It encourages the Church to reimagine parish life and ministry to respond to a changing world by strengthening parish vitality and engaging the faithful in shared action.