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Msgr. Thomas N. GERVASIO This October, Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio, pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton, and vicar general and moderator of the curia, will celebrate 35 years of priesthood. Born in Trenton in 1956, Msgr. Gervasio is the son of the late Tammaro and Orsola Gervasio. His home parish is St. Joachim Parish, now part of Our Lady of the Angels Parish. Msgr. Gervasio attended St. Joachim School and Cathedral High School, Trenton, and St. Anthony High School, Hamilton. Following his graduation in 1974, he pursued his studies for the priesthood in St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, and Mount St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md. He was ordained a priest Oct 30, 1982, by Bishop John C. Reiss in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, and has held a variety of positions at both parish and diocesan levels. As parochial vicar, Msgr. Gervasio served in St. James Parish, Red Bank, from 1982 to 1987 and St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, from 1987 to 1991. Msgr. Gervasio was then named administrator of Holy Trinity Parish, Long Branch, where he served from 1991 to 1995. In 1996, he was named pastor of his home parish, St. Joachim, and in 1999, became pastor of St. Anthony Parish, Hamilton. Since 2005, he has been the pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, created from the merger of St. Anthony Parish with Our Lady of Sorrows Parish. In 1997, Pope John Paul II named Father Gervasio a Chaplain of His Holiness with the title of Continued on • S41
JULY 27, 2017 • TrentonMonitor.com •
Lives of FAITH • S39
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Father John P. Czahur, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Mount Holly, was born in 1951 in Trenton. He attended the former Incarnation School, Ewing, and spent his first two years in high school in Mother of the Savior Seminary, Blackwood, now part of Camden County Community College. The seminary closed at the end of his sophomore year, and the young seminarian transferred to Divine Word Seminary, Bordentown. He formally prepared for his vocation to the priesthood in St. Mary’s Seminary College, Catonsville, Md., where he earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy. Father Czahur went on to attended The Catholic University of America, Washington, where he received a master’s degree in theology. He was ordained a priest on May 21, 1977, by Bishop George W. Ahr in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton. Father Czahur served as parochial vicar in St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, before returning to Maryland to teach in St. Mary Seminary and University School of Theology. Upon his return to the Diocese, he was assigned parochial vicar by Bishop John C. Reiss to Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown, and was also asked to serve as assistant director of the Office of Religious Education. Other diocesan posts he held included serving as director of the Office of Evangelization and director of the Office of Liturgy. From 1985 to 1990, he served as parochial vicar in Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Hainesport, as well as for a short time as temporary administrator. In 1990, he was named pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Riverton, where he remained
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th for 14 years. nn th In 2004, he was appointed to his current post as pastor in Mount Holly. Father Czahur has also served on the diocesan building commission, the diocesan vocation board, the council of priests and the task force on marriage preparation issues.
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Father Cesar Anson, who began his new assignment July 1 as parochial vicar in St. Joseph Parish, Toms River, was born in Libmanan, Camarines Sur, Philippines. He prepared for the priesthood in Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from San Carlos Seminary and a graduate degree in philosophy from the San Alphonsus School of Theology, Philippines. He was ordained a priest April 15, 1977, in Real, Quezon, Philippines, by then-Bishop Julio Xavier Labayen. Following his ordination to the priesthood, he served a decade in lay leadership formation in Infanta, Quezon, Philippines. He then immigrated to the United States and was assigned to the parish of St. John the Baptist, Jersey City. In the Jersey City parish, he organized the Filipino members of the parish while working with the Latino families, as well. He later became chaplain of Englewood Hospital.
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Philippines, by Bishop Felix S. Zafra. He was one of 29 priests from his parish to be ordained that day. While still in the Philippines, Father Amora held a variety of positions in the Diocese of Dipolog, including one of missionary within the diocese and a year as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, from 1978 to 1983. He was the vicar forane for the St. Francis Xavier Vicariate. He served as a board member for the Justice and Peace Ministry and diocesan consultor for the diocese’s community-based health program that promoted acupuncture and herbal medicines. He arrived in the Diocese of Trenton in 1987 and was appointed an adjunct priest in Visitation Parish, Brick, where he remained until 1996. He was then assigned to St. Theresa Parish, Little Egg Harbor, during which time he also served six months as a temporary administrator. He served in St. Theresa Parish until 2002. Father Amora then served in St. Justin the Martyr Parish, Toms River, as an adjunct priest and then parochial vicar following his incardination into the Diocese in 2003. Four years later, he was appointed parochial vicar of St. Ann Parish, Keansburg, and was transferred to St. Dorothea Parish in 2012.
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t h he came to the At the suggestion of a friend, nn Diocese of Trenton and served in St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, from 1990 to 1999, and for a year in St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold (now St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral). In 2000, he was appointed to Blessed Sacrament nn Parish, Trenton, (now Blessed Sacrament-Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd Parish) and was incardinated into the Diocese at that time. He remained in Blessed Sacrament Parish until 2002, when he was assigned to Epiphany Parish, th nn Brick. He served there until 2007. In 2007, he was assigned as parochial vicar of St. Paul Parish, Burlington. He remained in Burlington at the new parish of St. Katharine Drexel, following the merger of St. Paul Parish and All Saints Parish in 2008. In addition to his duties as parochial vicar in Toms River, Father Anson is also involved with hospital ministry at Community Medical Center, Toms River.
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