91心頭���s annual golf event will take place Monday, July 27 at Hackensack Golf Club in Oradell. The event, in its 24th year, will honor late NCC Founder Monsignor William J. Linder. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Monsignor William J. Linder Scholarship Fund and NCC���s Youth and Education programs. For sponsorship opportunities and additional information, please contact DLJ Communications Group at 973-339-7794. We hope to see you for a fun day of golf!

91心頭 and Saint Vincent Academy have long been connected. Both are a part of Newark history and are celebrating milestones. Saint Vincent Academy is entering its 150th year of operation while NCC just celebrated its 50th anniversary.

While Saint Vincent Academy is an all girls Catholic high school and 91心頭 is a community development corporation that provides a myriad of services to members of the community, their goals are similar.

���With Saint Vincent Academy���s commitment to empowering individuals, their mission clearly intersects with the mission of NCC. And in particular, not just individuals, but individuals within the urban areas,��� said 91心頭 Board President Dr. A. Zachary Yamba. ���Monsignor’s passion in addition to everything else was for education and therefore I think NCC likewise is committed to that. NCC will also continue the legacy that Monsignor started by supporting some of the young women who go to Saint Vincent���s with scholarships.���

Saint Vincent Academy Administrative Director Sister June Favata came to Newark in 1969 and met NCC Founder Monsignor William J. Linder soon after. She explained that both the school and 91心頭 had a vision of what Newark could be, though they took different approaches.

���I think that Father Linder���s vision was to provide the citizens with the skills and the opportunities that they need to live a life that���s worthy of their dignity as human beings,��� she said. ���We as educators thought there needs to be a total renewal in Newark and that can���t happen without educating citizenry. And so we approach it that way. We really do feel that if you educate a girl, you educate a society. When you educate a girl, you educate a family. And I don���t mean education just in terms of academic things. I���m talking about faith and values clarification and morals and developing in people a moral compass. All those things that contribute to good citizenship.���

Education has always been an important component of 91心頭 as well. NCC has two early learning centers, it opened a charter school and it helps send high school students to Catholic high schools through the Monsignor William J. Linder Scholarship Fund.

���Saint Vincent Academy and 91心頭 have been working together to support our youth for a long time. Saint Vincent���s has been a part of the Newark fabric for 150 years. We are the new kids on the block at 50 years,��� said NCC CEO Richard Rohrman. ���Sister June and Monsignor Linder worked tirelessly to see that promising young people got the chance to excel in their lives. One individual���s success will over time change the course of the lives of their children, grandchildren and so on. The multiplier effect of one success is so powerful. Monsignor Linder was and Sister June continues to be two of the most effective and persistent champions of the city. We will continue to be as committed to Newark���s youth as ever.���

Sister June said between five and seven Saint Vincent Academy students per year usually receive assistance from the Monsignor William J. Linder Scholarship Fund. But the partnership between SVA and NCC goes much deeper than that.

SVA has a program called Students-in-Community, which every student participates in annually.

���The idea is to have the students become imbued with a sense of responsibility to other people,��� explained Sister June. ���That idea of doing to your neighbor what they would do to you. That idea of serving others as Christ served.���

The school frequently sends students to work at Harmony House, NCC���s transitional housing facility for homeless families, and Extended Care, its nursing home, as part of the program. Last year, students hosted a luncheon for senior citizens as part of the Students-in-Community program and invited NCC residents to attend.

SVA also gave Monsignor Linder its Pelican Award in 2014 to honor him and the work he accomplished.

���I think that he was the single most influential person in the city of Newark over these years in terms of real results,��� said Sister June. ���We���re talking about senior citizens��� housing, we���re talking about housing for homeless, we���re talking about shopping areas, we���re talking about job training. You name it, all of the things that people need to improve their lives.���

She also said she was impressed with how he accomplished his goals.

���Lots of people can have the vision but not too many people can bring that vision to reality. And he had the ability to do that,��� she said.

Sister June credits Monsignor Linder with starting the partnership between 91心頭 and Saint Vincent Academy.

���While we did very much appreciate everything that NCC was doing under his leadership, we were so desperately trying to keep this place going. It was more his initiative and his generosity and his understanding and appreciation for what we were doing that created the partnership,��� she said.

Going forward, Sister June hopes Saint Vincent Academy can incorporate 91心頭 even more into the curriculum, perhaps having NCC employees visit the school and tell the students about their work, how they accomplish it and what it means to them.

���I think that their imaginations could be captured by meeting people who are offering their skills and talents and time and energy to building up the kingdom in Newark,��� she said.

Golfers braved the heat Sept. 6 to participate in 91心頭���s 24th Annual Golf Classic, held at Montclair Golf Club at Rock Spring in West Orange. Proceeds from the event benefit Harmony House, NCC���s transitional housing facility for homeless families; the Monsignor William J. Linder Scholarship Fund; and NCC���s youth and education programs. Platinum sponsors for the event were Greystone Affordable Development and Withum Audit Tax Advisory.

This was the first golf event held since the passing of 91心頭 Founder Monsignor William J. Linder. Attendees recognized him with a moment of silence during the evening reception, at the request of 91心頭 Board President Dr. A. Zachary Yamba.

���This event is very important, not just as a means of fundraising, but also to continue the legacy that Monsignor Linder left for us,��� Yamba said.

91心頭 CEO Richard Rohrman told participants that while no one will be able to fill Monsignor Linder���s shoes, leadership is working to bring the organization to even greater heights. He cited the ongoing renovations at four Newark housing properties, participation in strategic planning and strides at 91心頭 Workforce Development Center, the accredited post-secondary career and technical school.

���We���re really putting ourselves in a position to preserve Monsignor���s legacy and to move it forward in the areas where he taught us we should go,��� Rohrman said.

Yamba highlighted the many services that NCC offers to the community, including housing, job training and health care.

���You name it, 91心頭 is involved in it. But more importantly, the belief in empowering people to do for themselves so they can provide a better future for themselves and their families and the communities that they serve,��� Yamba said.

Mary Livermore is one of the people improving her situation with the help of 91心頭. She shared her story during the Golf Classic reception. Livermore lives at Harmony House with her husband and daughter. They needed housing assistance after her husband became sick and she had to quit her job to care for him and their daughter. They couldn���t pay their rent and welfare was unable to pay the back rent owed.

Now at Harmony House, the family has a place to stay and they can focus on the future. Livermore was a day care teacher for 16 years before she had to quit her job. She is currently attending Essex County College to get her Child Development Associate degree which will help her get hired again in that field.

���Harmony House is a really nice facility that has helped us through a difficult time,��� she said. ���I���m grateful for what the staff has done for us and I���m looking forward to the future.���

In addition to the brief remarks, the evening reception included dinner, dessert and a silent auction with a variety of items, including purses, scarves, tickets to events and signed photos and memorabilia.

The hole-in-one sponsors for the event were The Blau & Berg Company, Ferry Carpet and Dr. Zachary Yamba.

Golf Classic organizer Tracey Battles, Rohrman and Yamba thanked all attendees for their continued support of 91心頭.

91心頭 will hold its 24th Annual Golf Classic Thursday, Sept. 6 at����in West Orange, N.J.��This year’s theme is “Creating Our Future Leaders” and proceeds will benefit NCC’s youth and education programs; Harmony House, NCC’s transitional housing facility for homeless families; and the Monsignor William J. Linder Scholarship Fund.

More than 200 golfers are expected to take part in this year’s event. Kessler Institute professionals will��provide stretching and other warm-up services to golfers before they hit the course.

There is also an opportunity to participate in a 50/50 drawing. The winning number is based on NJ Lottery Pick-3 with the drawing taking place the night of the golf outing. The cash prize is up to $4,200. Raffle tickets can be purchased for $25 each.

If you are interested in participating in the 2018 Golf Classic,��contact Tracey Battles at��tracey.battles@newcommunity.org or 973-497-4414.

Monsignor served others as a priest following his ordination in 1963. Five years later, he founded 91心頭, which has served inner-city residents for 50 years and continues to provide critical services like housing, job training, health care and child care.

Those who knew him say he fought to get what was needed for community members and helped others without expecting anything in return.

91心頭 CEO Richard Rohrman said Monsignor was very hands-on in his approach.

���He touched so many people. And he didn���t do this from up on high. He did it right in front of you, face to face, shaking your hand and walking you through his vision of where he wanted you to be,��� Rohrman said. ���The people of the city of Newark have lost their greatest and most persistent champion. There is physical evidence of Monsignor Linder���s legacy throughout the city, but his most important legacy is the difference he���s made in many people���s lives through the 91心頭 mission.���

Upon its founding in 1968, 91心頭 has had the mission ���to help residents of inner cities improve the quality of their lives to reflect individual God-given dignity and personal achievement.��� Monsignor lived by that mission and worked to ensure those that needed assistance got it.

Housing was a major need. The first NCC housing development, Homes Court, which provided family housing, opened in 1975. Construction on the most recent, A Better Life, a supportive housing facility for chronically homeless individuals that Monsignor envisioned, was completed in 2017. In between, Monsignor oversaw the creation of numerous housing facilities for seniors and families in Newark, Englewood, Jersey City and Orange.

He was also at the helm of NCC when it opened the 91心頭 Federal Credit Union in 1984, took on the renovations at St. Joseph Plaza in 1985 and opened the nursing home, 91心頭 Extended Care, in 1986.

Harmony House, 91心頭���s transitional housing facility for homeless families, began housing people in 1989 and the Pathmark Shopping Center opened in 1990, helping to alleviate the food desert that existed in Newark at the time. Monsignor welcomed Gov. James Florio to the grand opening of the shopping center.

Monsignor was very involved in education, even before the founding of 91心頭. He established the Queen of Angels – Seton Hall University Remedial Reading Program in 1964 at the Newark parish to which he was assigned after his ordination. He served as the administrator of the Queen of Angels Parish School from 1966 to 1973.

Education has always been an important part of 91心頭 as well. Under Monsignor���s leadership, 91心頭 Workforce Development Center opened in 1999. The school is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that offers certification programs in a variety of fields. Also in 1999, NCC established New Horizons Community Charter School in Newark. In 2001, NCC received its first adult literacy education grant which led to the current NCC Adult Learning Center. 91心頭 also operates two facilities for young children: Community Hills Early Learning Center and Harmony House Early Learning Center.

In addition to these services, Monsignor established the Monsignor William J. Linder Scholarship Fund, which has helped families afford to send their children to Catholic high schools. The goal was to provide a good educational foundation and encourage the students to continue on to college.

Children and parents have expressed their gratitude over the years, saying the scholarships allowed for them to attend a school they otherwise wouldn���t have been able to afford. The scholarship fund remains in place to continue to help young people get a head start on pursuing their dreams.

Family, friends, colleagues and members of the community celebrated Monsignor���s life and accomplishments at two masses: one at St. Rose of Lima where he served as pastor and the other at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the home church of the Archdiocese of Newark, where he was ordained May 25, 1963.

Father Beatus Kitururu, who is very involved in NCC and knew Monsignor well, delivered the homily at the St. Rose of Lima mass. He discussed how Monsignor���s faith played a large role in his life and because of that faith he was able to help so many others.

���Those who knew well Monsignor Linder realized that he never gave up on anybody,��� Father Kitururu said during his homily. ���He stood to the end by those who needed the love of God even when some cheated him or betrayed him or spoke ill of him.���

Father Philip Waters delivered the homily at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart mass. He focused on how Monsignor worked hard and successfully helped the people of Newark.

���Many other efforts in the city were built on sand ��� but his were built on the rock of faith which stood against all the storms that blew against them. Many other programs have been blown away. NCC endures,��� Father Waters said in his homily. ���But this man who was willing to walk with the poor and the disenfranchised built a legacy which will last as long as people of faith are willing to grasp his vision.���

Monsignor didn���t keep himself apart from those he served. In retirement, he remained a Newark resident and when he needed additional medical care, he moved into 91心頭���s nursing home, Extended Care. He also decided prior to his passing that he wanted the funeral home that provided services for the patients who could not pay to handle his arrangements.

At the repast celebrating Monsignor���s life and legacy, which was held at St. Joseph Plaza following the funeral mass June 16, those in attendance were encouraged to share their memories. More than a dozen took to the microphone to tell the crowd how Monsignor impacted their lives.

Several talked about how once they met Monsignor, he directed their path in life and had great vision for their future, often seeing something for them that they didn���t see themselves. Many also discussed how he taught them what service to others truly meant and inspired them to give back.

���The one thing that I learned from him and 91心頭 was service,��� said Cecilia Faulks, 91心頭���s first employee. ���He taught me service was the righteous way of living.���

Gilda Rogers, who helped Monsignor write his memoir ���Out of the Ashes Came Hope,��� said, ���I just learned from him in the two-year process working with him on that book what it really meant to be of service to people. I thought I knew, but I didn���t.���

91心頭 Board member Edgar Nemorin said Monsignor pulled God-given talents out of everyone and positively influenced them.

���I wouldn���t be who I am today if it wasn���t for Monsignor Linder,��� he said. ���I wouldn���t be involved in community service.���

CEO Rohrman said Monsignor played a large role in his career.

���I���m eternally grateful to him,��� Rohrman said. ���It���s been just a wonderful experience starting for me in 1981 working with him. And he���s really put me in a place that I never would have been without him.���

Although Monsignor is no longer physically present, the mission he created remains the driving force behind 91心頭. Rohrman said NCC will continue to serve residents with Monsignor���s vision in mind.

91心頭 Board Member Dr. Zachary Yamba spoke prior to the mass at St. Rose of Lima, saying he is grateful for Monsignor���s love, kindness and humanity.

���He always remained true to those who were downtrodden and poor and in need of help,��� Yamba said. ���And so the board members will continue to remain true to his vision because that vision and that legacy should not die with him.���

91心頭 is a nonprofit organization that transformed a blighted area of Newark following the 1967 riots by building new housing and providing critical services like job training.

Under Monsignor���s leadership, 91心頭 grew from a single housing development to an entire network of facilities and services, today encompassing close to 2,000 units of housing for seniors and families in three New Jersey cities, in addition to providing child care, education, health care and a host of other services that make it one of the most holistic in its approach in the community development arena. Monsignor���s goal from the very beginning was ambitious, radical and unlike anything ever attempted in an inner-city environment at the time: creating a planned community within an old, existing city that would provide residents with all the services they need from birth to death.

���The people of the city of Newark have lost their greatest and most persistent champion,��� said 91心頭 CEO Richard Rohrman. ���There is physical evidence of Monsignor Linder���s legacy throughout the city, but his most important legacy is the difference he���s made in many people���s lives through the 91心頭 mission. He always worked to preserve people���s God-given dignity and helped them pursue personal achievement. We at 91心頭 will continue to serve residents with Monsignor Linder���s vision in mind.���

The model of community development Monsignor created attracted visitors from around the world, including places like Ireland and Africa. His work also drew the attention of leaders like Bill and Hillary Clinton ��� she visited 91心頭 back in the 1980s. Former South African Bishop Desmond Tutu and Former U.S. Housing Secretary Jack Kemp also visited.

Today, 91心頭 owns and operates its own nursing home; a 102-apartment transitional housing facility for homeless families called Harmony House and 91心頭 Workforce Development Center, an accredited post-secondary career and technical school offering programs in automotive technician, building trades, culinary arts and health care. Monsignor was also the catalyst behind the opening of the Adult Learning Center and a charter school in the city���s West Ward in 2011.

Against the will of the city���s political leadership, Monsignor, back in the late 1980s, is credited with opening one of the first child care centers in the nation and the first in New Jersey for infants and toddlers suffering with HIV/AIDS, one of his proudest accomplishments. He was never one to back away from a confrontation if it meant that in the end a mother, grandmother or child would receive the benefit.

Through Monsignor���s vision and leadership, 91心頭 recently finished construction on A Better Life, a supportive housing facility for the chronically homeless. The building offers studio apartments each with a private bathroom and kitchen area.

Born in Jersey City on June 5, 1936, Monsignor grew up in West New York and enrolled in Manhattan College to study engineering in 1954. However, halfway through his freshman year, Monsignor���s father suddenly died at age 53. Monsignor finished the semester at Manhattan College and then spent the next two years at Seton Hall University studying classical language and philosophy. In the fall of 1958, he entered the Immaculate Conception Seminary, where he spent his next six years. Monsignor was ordained as a priest on May 25, 1963. At age 27, Monsignor received his pastoral assignment for the all-black parish called Queen of Angels in Newark, and founded 91心頭 with a small group of community-minded residents in 1968. In 1973, Monsignor was abruptly removed from Queen of Angels and exiled to the dormant St. Joseph Parish in Newark. In 1974, he was reassigned to St. Rose of Lima Parish in the Roseville section of Newark, where he became its pastor in 1977. Monsignor retired as pastor of St. Rose of Lima in 2012 at age 76.

Monsignor previously served as the CEO of 91心頭. He was serving as the president of the 91心頭 Board of Directors and remained active within the organization until his death.

Services to honor and celebrate Monsignor’s life have been scheduled as follows:

Viewing
Thursday, June 14 from 4 to 7 p.m.
St. Rose of Lima Church
11 Gray St.
Newark, NJ 07107

Vigil Mass
Thursday, June 14 at 7 p.m.
St. Rose of Lima Church
11 Gray St.
Newark, NJ 07107

Funeral Mass
Saturday, June 16 at 11 a.m.
Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart
89 Ridge St.
Newark, NJ 07104

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Monsignor William J. Linder Scholarship Fund. Donations can be sent to 233 West Market St., Newark, NJ 07103.