Bishop installs Father Wilson as pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish, Freehold

Bishop David M. O'Connell installed Father Joel Wilson as the new pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Freehold during a Mass on Oct. 11. Father Wilson, who began working at the parish on Sept. 1, will serve in this role for the next six years.

During his homily, which he delivered in English and Spanish, Father Wilson spoke about the importance of unity within the parish's diverse community. He noted that the congregation is composed of many different cultural backgrounds and expressed a desire to foster connection among members rather than dividing them into simple language groups.

Jan Rybnicky, a parishioner at St. Rose of Lima, said the community expects Father Wilson to be a leader who listens to his people.