From Our Pastor
“The theological virtues dispose Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity. They have the One and Triune God for their origin, motive, and object. The theological virtues are the foundation of Christian moral activity; they animate it and give it its special character. They inform and give life to all the moral virtues. They are infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life. They are the pledge of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the human being.” (CCC: 1812,1813)
This Annual Report of Our Stewardship is the way in which our parish communicates these theological virtues at work with our community. These pages are a reporting of various pastoral activities: Worship & Music; Faith Formation & Religious Education; Outreach, Charitable Appeals & Pastoral Care; Stewardship of Time, Talent, Treasure & Temporal Administration. We have emerged from the pandemic with a renewed commitment to living and celebrating our Christian Life together.
I invite you to take the time to read through these pages and familiarize yourself with what we have achieved together, the areas in need of improvement and how we are charting a steady course forward. Together we can continue to grow in Faith, Hope, and Charity. I am grateful to those who have worked to prepare this report and those who have reviewed it. Thank you for your continued generous support of the mission and ministries of our parish community as stakeholders. May Mary, Seat of Wisdom continue to intercede for us. PEACE!
Worship & Music
The reception of the Holy Eucharist and active participation in the liturgy remain the hallmarks of our Catholic identity when we gather for worship. As we continue our journey with the Eucharistic Revival, it is important to remember that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith.
An active participation by all those gathered (the assembly) leads to a more profound worship experience by all of those present. Actively participating in the Liturgy entails joining in the responses and other parts of the Mass that are prayed by the assembly. This begins with singing the entrance antiphon or hymn, continues with the reverent sign of the cross and heartfelt Amen. Continuing through the Mass, every time there is a dialogue, a spoken or sung response (think of the Liturgy of the Eucharist: the Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation, etc.), a communal prayer (The Lord’s Prayer) or a musical refrain (such as during the psalm), all should participate fully. During the proclamation of the readings, the homily, the singing of hymns or chants by the choir, etc., where verbal participation is not occurring, one focuses their mind and heart and what they are hearing and seeing. Another way of describing active participation is with the phrase “full engagement.” Participation is not optional when attending Mass. Full and active participation is key in our communal celebration of the Eucharist.
Weekday Masses in the chapel are very similar. We are fortunate to have a cantor at each Mass to aid in the participation of the assembly; on certain feasts and solemnities we add instrumental accompaniment as well, utilizing the upright piano that was stored for many years, unused, in the theater. As part of our 50th anniversary celebration, the chapel also now houses the organ which was previously in the church to add to these worship events. This will also allow us to have certain smaller celebrations in the chapel to make better use of our electrical output (in the form of reduced lighting and HVAC costs) and be better stewards of both our environment and our financial resources. In the past year, we have transferred all civic holidays and those feasts and solemnities which are not days of obligation to the chapel.
Worship & Music (continued)
Going back a few years, prior to our temporary closure in 2020, we had 162 active volunteers who give of their time to serve in our various liturgical ministries at weekend Masses. At the end of fiscal year 2021, that had dropped to 92, As of June 2022, that number decreased slightly to 88. Closing out fiscal year 2023, we had a slight increase to 95 active volunteers, and we now have 98 at the close of fiscal year 2024.
Below are the breakdowns for each ministry—what they entail, how many are currently active and how many are typically needed per Mass:
† Altar Servers - 19: Assist the clergy during the Mass and other celebrations, from processions to the liturgy of the Eucharist, as well as holy hours, weddings, funerals etc. At least one for is needed for most Masses, two are preferable. For Solemnities, two are required and four are desirable.
† Ushers - 5: At least two ushers should attend each Mass to assist both visitors and regular congregants, especially during special occasions such as First Holy Communion, Baptisms, and the like. Ushers also monitor the collection, and make sure the nave is properly set for the following Mass by checking for items that parishioners may have missed; returning books to the rack, raising the kneelers to their proper positions etc.
† Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion - 29: These individuals assist the priest and deacon during the distribution of Holy Communion at Mass. Some also bring the Eucharist to the sick and homebound. Three ministers are preferred for most Masses, with an additional person to serve as an alternate should someone be unable to fulfill their position. Christmas and Easter Masses usually require additional ministers in order to best accommodate our increased numbers on those days.
† Readers - 16: Sometimes incorrectly referred to as lectors (a separate instituted ministry), readers proclaim the word of God at Mass and prayer services. Readers must be strong public speakers, able to deliver the readings with clarity. Two are scheduled for each Mass.
† Children’s Liturgy of the Word - 4: Children are dismissed from Mass during the Liturgy of the Word to go into the chapel with a catechist and an assistant to hear the word of God in their own language and engage in activities to expand their understanding. Having recently restarted after the restrictions of the pandemic have been lifted, we have one Mass (10AM Sunday) with one Catechist and one Assistant Volunteer. We would like to see the number of offerings expand in the future as more catechists are trained.
† Music - 15: The music ministry consists of the choir, handbell choir, cantors and instrumentalists. We have one staff organist, one staff cantor and four volunteers who aid the assembly in their musical participation. More volunteers are desired in order to make scheduling more equitable. We also have a choir and handbell ensemble of about eight regular members and we would like to see that number double to bring us more in line with the numbers we should have for a congregation of our size.
† Sacristans - none dedicated at present: Sometimes referred to as sextons, a sacristan prepares the vestments, liturgical books, vessels, etc., before Mass in accordance with the order and needs of the congregation, cleans the vessels after Mass and maintains these items throughout the year. At least one is needed per Mass. At the moment, this role is filled by a combination of staff, clergy, and some volunteers; it is desirable that dedicated persons will fulfill these duties. Extraordinary ministers of holy communion and altar servers are excellent candidates to double up on this role, but any liturgical ministers can easily double as a sacristan with proper training.
Ministry Summary
One challenge in scheduling the appropriate number of ministers per Mass is the preference of volunteers to only attend certain Masses. The Saturday anticipatory and 10AM Sunday Masses are generally the most well-attended, but that is not an accurate indicator of volunteer availability. In the past few years, the following trends have emerged:
The same volunteers often attend the same Masses week after week, resulting in difficulty to find coverage if one is sick, is on vacation, etc. It is desirable that ministers be open to serving at different Mass times, especially at busy times of the year.
The 10AM Mass is the most preferred by Altar Servers but least preferred by Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.
Many of our older servers have gone off to college, without a large number of younger children to fill their spots. However, in the past year, we have seen a steady increase in the number of young people interested in serving.
We previously had a large team of ushers, with up to four per Mass; but we have seen a steep drop in the number of ushers available per Mass, often one or none at all.
In order to alleviate these concerns, volunteers could consider attending different Mass times and easily sign up via our scheduling software. At certain times of the year, volunteering for more than one Mass per weekend is encouraged. The parish is also in need of more volunteers in ALL ministries, in order to best serve our worship community. Finally, at certain points of the year, ministerial volunteers become
Worship & Music (continued)
more important than ever, and it is not a coincidence that these times are always busy times with family and out-of-church activities. Preparing the campus for Christmas and Easter requires a great deal of labor, not all of it physical, but volunteers are severely lacking during these times as well as on Holy Days. For example, there are four Christmas Masses, five Masses for the Triduum and Easter and a Good Friday service. Mass attendance is high among family, friends and visitors joining us for worship on these occasions, requiring many hands to efficiently function. However, there are often empty positions for many of these Masses when it is even more critical to fully staff our ministries.
Our music ministry continues to evolve as we strive to be more in line with the universal Church, using guiding documents, such as the “General Instruction of the Roman Missal,” with a focus on solid theology, well-written hymns and songs, liturgically-accurate texts and the occasional challenge piece for the choir.
Our current worship resource for the pews, The Book of Sacred Liturgy, has been generally well received by parishioners. For those who attend weekday Mass, many have found it especially useful as it contains the readings and propers for every single day of the liturgical year, aiding in participation and prayer. For weekend liturgies, a more concise format of this resource has enabled us to focus our musical prayers toward the Holy Trinity with carefully-chosen texts and well-written music.
The Psalms are chosen from a variety of resources. Many are from the Source & Summit series (formerly Lumen Christi) with antiphons by several composers and psalm tones by Columba Kelly. Others are taken from The Book of Sacred Liturgy, The Collegeville Psalter, The Revised Grail Psalms (set by Michael Guimont), and The Chabanel Psalms, as well as some written by our own staff.
As with all of our ministries during and following the pandemic, we saw a decrease in music ministry. Calling attention to our congregation size, our music ministry — and particularly the choir and handbell ensemble — should have double the amount of members than it currently has. As music is an integral part of the liturgical experience, we should strive to always offer our best to the Lord and make
music to His name. As always, the music ministry thrives most with larger numbers, and all are encouraged to join!
Our annual summer concert series, which began in 2018 and had to pause from 2020 to 2022 due to the pandemic, has finally resumed in August 2023, offering Vivaldi’s Gloria conducted by Dr. Carly York.
As part of our 50th anniversary celebration, we have entered into a contract with Stadele's Allen Organs, the local dealer representing the Allen Organ company, to purchase a state-of-the-art digital organ for the church. This custom, state-of-the-art instrument was installed just prior to Christmas 2023. It contains the most up-to-date sampling technology and will be “field-upgradable,” allowing the instrument to be updated and kept current rather than becoming obsolete and requiring total replacement. The organ is completely custom, unique to our worship space. The previous organ, an Allen Theatre Organ, has been installed in the chapel and re-voiced in order to suit that space. The organ is currently being financed with zero interest, thanks to the generosity of Stadele’s Allen Organ. A dedication is being planned during our annual summer concert in August 2025.
Various musical settings of the Mass are employed for different occasions as follows:
† Roman Missal Chants - Ordinary Time I&II
† Mass of Joy and Peace (Alonso)Ordinary Time III
† Missa Emmanuel (Proulx) - Advent & Christmas
† Mass of The Shepherds (Yon)Christmas Eve
† Credo III - Christmas Eve
† Mass of the Angels & Saints (Janco) - Lent & Easter
† A Community Mass (Proulx)Funerals
† Mass of Creation (Haugen)Weddings
We continue our cooperation with the community of Saint Catharine Parish in Holmdel, sharing clergy on weekends, coordinating music ministers, and running a joint RCIA program. We have also begun to coordinate alternating Mass times on Holy Days of Obligation to better serve both communities. Such cooperation allows us to bring the best of both communities together and benefit both parishes.
We are a strong, prayerful and active faith community, but we continue to face challenges to engage more active parishioners in the stewardship of giving their time and talent.
I greatly encourage all of our members to prayerfully consider giving some of their time and talent to the community. Whether it be singing in the choir or ringing with the handbells, acting as a substitute usher on Holy Days, giving up a few hours to assist with the Christmas decorations, or wherever the Spirt directs you, the community is always grateful for the contributions of our members.
May God bless!
Temporal administration
We started the fiscal year in July 2023 with some concerns about the financial forecast. Our costs of operation continue to increase, and our collections do not keep up with rising costs. We had discussed with the Finance Council the need to run an increased offering program, and it was launched in the Fall. Thanks to the generous response of our parishioners, we were able to increase our ordinary income and cover our annual expenses.
However, we continue to face similar challenges in the new year and must continue our efforts to grow our collections. The following are some of the highlights and accomplishments for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024:
In the latter months of this fiscal year, we have witnessed and increase in the giving of Time and Talent. In addition to new liturgical ministers recruited during our Liturgical Ministry Fair last November, a Hospitality Committee now in process of formation has already commenced reviving “Coffee & Donuts Sunday” events. The Advent Pancake Breakfast, held in December 2023 for the first time since before the pandemic, drew parishioners of all ages to volunteer their time. Other parishioner teams were assembled for community building initiatives such as the Eucharistic Revival.
Parishioners are asked to consider volunteering time to help in any of these initiatives if their time permits, as there is always a need. Please contact me or any other staff members if you are interested in volunteering. Your giving of time and talent is much needed and really appreciated.
To help raise awareness of the financial situation of the parish and invite parishioners to consider reviewing their Sunday offertory, we launched our in parishioner participation. Our Easter collection, however, reflected the opposite trend, with an increase in the amount collected and a decrease in the number of parishioners participating. As
The Parish of Saint Mary
Christmas and Easter are the most important celebrations in our liturgical calendar, many families and visitors attend Mass, and these Holy Days provide a major source of income to help us with our many financial obligations. The monthly Building Fund collection increased 28% as compared to the prior year, covering 53% of our total annual mortgage payments. The Parish subsidized the difference with operational income.
Opportunities to support the Poor and Needy in our larger community have increased with new charitable initiatives and service projects throughout the year like our food collection program, Thanksgiving food drive, Blessing Bags and Fishers of Men. Such collections for the poor and needy fulfill requests for assistance with minimal subsidy from our operational fund.
The 2024 Annual Catholic Appeal launched in February with a goal of $75,000 as has been the case in recent years. At the time of this report, 225 households pledged $91,143.50 to the ACA, signifying that we have achieved this goal and secured our rebate once again upon receipt of pledged funds. We thank our parishioners for their support of the Annual Catholic Appeal, a crucial source of yearly funding to Diocesan ministries and programs which benefit our larger church as well as our Parish.
We have also received a special donation in kind from a parishioner for painting our church interior, which was completed this year. This long-awaited project had been in discussion for years by the Patrimony Committee, which had already selected the interior paint color.
† $ 13,517: Additional bequest from Robert Golar
† $ 88,500: Gift of the Boglioli Family/Holmdel Funeral Home: Nativity Scene Artwork by artist Robert Peterson
† $ 174,879: Bequest from parishioner John Cross
The following are some of the capital projects we have completed this past fiscal year in our campus:
Church Sanctuary: The reredos wall of the sanctuary and the walls on the sides of it were reconfigured and flattened with a smooth drywall application. The driving force behind this work was the removal of the organ speaker chamber which was installed above the organ location. The Blessed Sacrament chapel on the other was treated in the same way to preserve the same architecture. There is a plan to complete the reredos wall and make our sanctuary more dignified and beautiful, a process that is being discussed with the Patrimony Committee.
Temporal administration (continued)
Church Painting: This major project of painting the church interior started in the wintertime. The walls had not been painted in years and wall framing had started to show. In addition, the wood ceiling had not been maintained nor treated in decades and needed substantial work. The Patrimony Committee had been discussing options and opted for a monochromatic approach to make the church nave brighter and cleaner. While this project was not in the budget for last year, a parishioner who is in the painting business came forward and offered to make a donation in kind. Their crew worked day and night to finish the project just in time for Lent.
Church Frieze: A frieze is a horizontal band of sculpted or painted decoration on a wall near the ceiling which in churches generally contains a message. In discussion for several years, this project was aimed at adding a frieze as a decorative piece while also serving as a catechetical instrument. The frieze installation was completed immediately after the church painting, and frieze wording is scheduled to be added this fiscal year.
New Church LED Fixtures: Last year we announced our plans to replace the church lighting with more efficient and modern LED fixtures. This project was funded by the “Faith to Move Mountains” campaign rebate and it had taken us some years to select the appropriate fixtures providing the needed illumination in the church. The project started in November after some delays and installation of all fixtures concluded in January. However, there have been some issues programming the controls for turning
Ceiling after painting (above) and before (right)
2023) as opposed to Monday before Thanksgiving as it was done in the past. (Early food collections started in late October, with sorting and packing scheduled for November 16 and delivery on November 18.) Despite this reduction in collection days, 245 bags of food were distributed in addition to vegetables and turkeys. Food sorting and packing was also a well-attended intergenerational event, and volunteers finished in less than 90 minutes.
The Tree of Love, Sponsor A Family and direct Charitable Appeals efforts were significant in making Christmas a very special celebration for hundreds of children and families in need. Other charitable service events included the Ash Wednesday Diaper Drive sponsored by Fishers of Men and Blessing Bags collection of personal hygiene items. All of these initiatives were welcomed and supported by our parishioner families.
The Advent Pancake Breakfast returned this past year after a 4-year hiatus in part because of the pandemic and staffing shortages. A committee of hard-working parishioner volunteers contributed to making this event a great success. Nearly 350 parishioners attended the event between 8 a.m. and Noon despite other pancake breakfast events in town scheduled on the same day. Leftovers were donated to the food banks in the area.
Our traditional Halloween Halls event was scheduled the last Saturday in October and drew many families for trick-or-treating through our parish office halls and meeting rooms. The children began the event wearing their costumes for the 4 p.m. Mass.
The Easter Egg Hunt, which took place on the second Sunday of Easter in early April, gathered many families for Mass with the egg hunt immediately following around our grounds and featured a visit from the Easter Bunny in Madonna Hall.
We continued to gather parishioners of all ages for our traditional Fall and Spring parish grounds cleanups. Dozens of volunteer families helped us rake leaves, collect brush, clean planting beds and tidy up our property in preparation for the important Holy Days of Christmas and Easter.
In summary, this was another great year for our parish community. The stewardship of our parishioners allowed us to continue being a vibrant and strong community, offering convenience in our services and programs for the community, maintain our campus and facilities, compensate our personnel for the hard work they do and present opportunities for community building.
Looking ahead to the upcoming fiscal year, capital projects in the planning stages include the installation of a new baptismal font; a project conceptualized last year; construction of a new, larger Sacristy to serve both the Church and Chapel; enhancement of illumination around our buildings; and replacement of the Parish House windows.
Thank you for sharing your blessings with your parish. If you are interested in knowing more about our projects and needs and how you can help us, please email me at temporaladmin@stmaryscoltsneck.org or call 732-780-2666, ext. 312. May God bless you all!
Charitable Appeals
Direct Assistance
$14,011
Sponsor a Family approx. $12,750
34 families received assistance
Tree of Love $19,475
779 gifts @ $25.00 per gift
Thanksgiving Baskets approx. $14,385
245 bags of Thanksgiving groceries, 180 turkeys and additional vegetables
Fishers of Men approx. $1,000
Approx. 2,640 diapers & 2,480 baby wipes collected
Blessing Bags $6,550
262 packed blessing bags
Plus extra items donated to Co-Cathedral for future packout
Charitable Appeals
$13,142
Non-Diocesan Collections $11,298
Missionary Co-Operation Plan $ 9,245
Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara
Catholic School Co-Sponsorship $ 62,400
Parish Goal: $ 75,000
Amount Pledged $ 92,008
Number of Pledges: 237 Average Gift: $386 Paid Pledges $ 91,008
Rebate Received by the Parish $ 19,253.75
Our ACA 2023 rebate was applied towards the cost of upgrading our facilities lighting to LED.
Fiscal Overview
Fiscal year July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 resulted in revenues over expenses of $216,416 before mortgage principal and transfer to Forward in Faith Trust.
Highlights of the year’s financial results are:
• As a result of the increased offertory program (additional monies from numerous parishioners) weekly offerings were $100,790 more than previous year.
• Bequest of $174,879 added additional revenue of which $150,000 was transferred from operating account to the Forward in Faith Trust.
• Government ERC Stimulus: $60,759 decreased revenue from previous year.
• Faith to Move Mountains: $216,080 decrease from previous year due to last year being the final year of program.
• Based on the above Overall Revenues were only $11,697 less than previous year.
• Overall Expenses: $81,283 decrease from previous year. The main category of this decrease was Extraordinary Expenses which were less than previous year by $85,055 due to delay in projects.
The overall financial condition is as follows:
• Accrual Method is used as mandated by the Diocese of Trenton since the ACA was established.
• Vendor payables, invoices received and paid after end of fiscal year, decreased but Diocesan payables and Catholic School Support increased.
• Building Loan: Balance after principal and interest payments $628,573. Balloon payment due October 2026.
• Small Business Administration EIDL Loan: Balance after principal payments $94,824. Expected to be paid during the fiscal year 2026-2027.
• Revenue less Expenses: $216,416 minus Building Loan and SBA – EIDL Loan principal payments ($80,666) and Transfer of Funds ($150,000). Net Operating Loss of $(14,250) – June 30, 2024.
• Budget projections for the Fiscal Year Ending 30 June 2025 anticipate a deficit of ($82,896).
Going forward for June 30, 2025, a shortfall of $82,896 is anticipated.
• Increase of Sunday Stewardship giving is necessary to offset loss revenue.
• Expand the use of online giving to steady revenues especially when families are out of town.
• Consider bequests or legacy gifts to provide for the future.
• Continue to address physical facility and equipment maintenance and care of grounds. The Parish of Saint Mary
Fiscal
EXPENSES
FINANCIAL CONSOLIDATION SUMMARY
Religious Education
This has been a very exciting year in our parish and in turn our Religious Education Department as we have been celebrating the Year of Parish Revival! This year, the focus has been on the Eucharist. As Catholics, the focus has always been on the Eucharist, but through this worldwide “movement” and because of the Eucharistic Revival initiative, we have made this even more central in our Faith Formation Department. Offering talks, small group discussions and just focusing on the real presence in the Eucharist at all parent meetings and in all online and on campus classes.
The children have continued to flourish in both on campus/in person classes, live online classes, and many great events and programs throughout the year. Our total number of Religious Education students in the program for grades 1-8 totaled 360 for the 23/24 school year.
The National Eucharistic Revival is a momentous, three-year initiative that will bear fruit for years to come. During the previous Year of Diocesan Revival, clergy and diocesan leaders built the foundation for this movement to thrive at the parish level.
The Summer Intensive Program for grades 1 through 6 ran two weeks in July and two weeks in August. The July session, we engaged the children in a live Google Classroom setting. The online classes were three hours each day for a total of 30 hours at the completion of the two-week period. The August session, the children came in on campus for an in-person module. This session ran for four hours each day including breaks, snack time and special presentations. We had a total of 188 students in grades 1 through 6 participate overall in our summer program. With 82 students enrolled in July and 106 students enrolled in August. Professional schoolteachers successfully taught and guided the children through their faith journey. The curriculum this year consisted of Loyola Press’ Growing With God Safe Environment program with a total of 6 lessons. This was completed along with the 25 lessons in Loyola Press’ Finding God series. We surveyed the parents at the conclusion of each session
for honest feedback.
Overwhelmingly, the RE families are very happy with our instructors and format of the program. This year we implemented Theme Days each day of the July and August sessions. More than half expressed how much their children enjoyed participating.
Among the theme days implemented this year in the summer program were wearing red, white and blue (God Bless America); wearing an animal print or bringing in a stuffed animal friend (Two-by-Two); dressing as your Favorite Saint; dressing in bright colors (Jesus is the Light of the World Day) and dressing in light blue for Mother Mary Day. This new idea to help facilitate catechesis, was a great addition to the summer program and it was such a joy to see how excited the children were to be a part of these Theme Days.
Our fall program consisted of both of on campus and virtual classes. A total of 168 students were enrolled in the fall program. The classes ran from late September 2023 to early May 2024. This fall program proved to be a success.
Our fall on campus religious education program for grades 1 and 2 was on campus/in person in the building. This two-year, First Communion Prep program had a total of 96 first and second graders who came to the church Tuesday afternoons for in person religious education classes. Families registered their child for the Tuesday on campus class running 4:50 PM to 6:00 PM. Each class ran one hour and ten minutes.
Our fall virtual students in grades 3-5 met on Tuesdays from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM virtually. Our 6 graders met on Wednesday from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM virtually. This was a live module, Google classroom, with the teacher and students interacting with each other and going through lesson. Opening prayer was a recorded video that the catechist could play to the whole class in screen share mode. That way the whole fall program prayed together each week to begin their studies. The curriculum, the same as the summer, consisted of Loyola Press’ Growing With God Safe Environment program with a total of 6 lessons. This was completed along with the 25 lessons in Loyola Press’ Finding God series.
Religious Education (continued)
We celebrated the Sacrament of First Holy Communion this year with a total of 42 children. They all received this beautiful Sacrament on Sunday, October 8, 15 or 22nd.
We were sure to have one retreat/rehearsal to ensure everyone knew what to do and how to make this a wonderful experience for them and their families. Focusing on the true presence in the Eucharist, we explained what that means and why this is the cornerstone of our Catholic faith.
In December 2023, we had all those students who are preparing for First Communion next fall 2024 attend their very first Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. We were blessed with 13 pastors to administer the Sacrament. A parish wide event, we had many parishioners who attended this Advent Penance service. It is a great opportunity for these young children to see and experience this sense of community. The children all attended both a retreat day and a rehearsal day to prepare. This year we had 52 second graders who made their First Penance and Reconciliation.
Grandparents Day Mass & Breakfast
Fall Movie Day
Halloween Halls
Thanksgiving Food Drive
Fall Parish Clean-up of Grounds
Christmas Decorating
Advent Penance & Reconciliation
Light up a Memory, Christmas Tree Lighting & Christmas Carols
Pancake Breakfast
Christmas Party & Nativity Reading
All of our Religious Education students have an Intergenerational component to complete each year. Religious education student must attend at least six of these programs or events throughout the year, and this year we offered a choice of 22 events. For the first time, these events were broken down into three categories. The students in grades 1 through 6 were asked to attend at least two in each category to fulfill their Religious Education requirement for the year. The three categories were Community Building, Liturgical and Service Projects.
There were many opportunities to engage the religious education families as well as parishioners. Many of the intergenerationals were met with record setting numbers. The fall cleanup was successful as was the Advent Penance and
Blessing of the Infant Jesus
Fishers of Men Food Collection
Lenten Penance & Reconciliation
Palm Sunday Palm Weaving
Holy Thursday Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Good Friday Passion of the Lord
Easter Vigil
Spring Parish Clean-up of Grounds
Easter Egg Hunt
Spring Movie Day
May Day: May Crowning of Mary & Craft
The Parish of Saint Mary
Reconciliation service. The Pancake Breakfast, the first time coming back for a few years, was met with hundreds of participants, dozens of volunteers and a delicious breakfast. It was a festive event that helped get our parish into the true spirit of Christmas by celebrating together in community.
The Easter Egg Hunt was a very popular event as usual with a record number of volunteers as well as participants. The Easter Bunny had a photo booth and there were 500-plus eggs decorating the parish grounds for the children to enjoy. Palm Weaving class on Palm Sunday proved to be another favorite this year for both children and parents alike and was at standing room only! The turnout of participants and volunteers was inspiring.
The results of a survey given at the conclusion of the 2023-24 Religious Education Program revealed that Light Up a Memory was our most popular intergenerational. Families enjoyed the lighting of the Christmas tree after Mass followed by the signing of Christmas carols. We can’t thank all the RE families enough for helping with these many events and programs as we couldn’t do it without them!
This year has been a tremendous success here at our parish for our Religious Education program. We continue to make positive changes and streamline the program for all participating. Parent participation and working together, as a community, has really invigorated the Religious Education department and our Faith Formation/Religious Education program and team!
In the 7th- and 8th-grade Confirmation Preparation program, we walk with students as they progress towards the sealing of the Sacramental Graces that were bestowed upon them at baptism. We hope to prepare our young parishioners to live their faith in lifelong discipleship.
Students in Confirmation Prep years review the journey through the Old Testament leading to the fulfillment of the promise of the Messiah from the line of David, begin faith sharing on topics from Salvation history, who is the Church, and why be Catholic. They complete 20 hours of Christian service work and discern on the saint they choose to be their patron for Confirmation. This year’s Confirmation prep students were led in retreat by JMJ Missions towards their commitment to faith. The retreat leaders shared their witness stories and fire for faith in personal and fun ways. The students and parents also had a faith sharing experience pertaining to chastity and dignity of life with certified Catechist and professional speaker Enza Cerami. It is the hope that new or different adjustments in the Confirmation Prep process will foster a greater understanding of our value and identities as a child of God. We ask for the support of parishioners to pray for an
The youth are not the future of the Catholic Church, they are the Church. They are here learning, worshipping, and growing in faith. We ask for the support of the parish to pray for our youth as they choose to fulfill the promises their parents and Godparents made for them at baptism. Pray for them as they prepare for full initiation into the Catholic Church. Pray for an increase in faith, better faith practices, and a desire to grow in greater relationship with Christ for the youth of this parish. Pray that they become great models of faith.
Youth & Adult Catechesis The Parish of Saint Mary
The ministry team which is comprised of members from the Parish of St. Mary and St. Catharine Church, along with Reverend Monsignor Michael Walsh (Fr. Mike) serving as the Spiritual Director, accompanied four candidates into full communion with the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil.
The RCIA team continues to seek those who desire to become part of the Catholic Church as well as those who feel called to accompany them. The team will continue to bear witness and accompany those going through the process of discernment and
catechesis. We are always looking to grow the ministry team with people who are open to sharing the faith, serving as a parish Sponsor, or offering hospitality in the way of making coffee or being the welcoming face. We continue to welcome new inquirers to come and see the richness of the Catholic faith. Please, continue to keep those who are seeking God, as well as those who minister to them in your prayers.
The Bible Study Program is an ongoing program at the Parish. There is an evening group which meets on Tuesday, and a morning group which meets on Wednesday mornings. The studies have included:
† The Mystery of the Bible; ROMANS – Ascension Press; ROMANS Bible/Based on the KING JAMES BIBLE. Also using the New American Bible. Two Groups Completed the EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL SERIES.
† Advent Faith Sharing Series
† Women’s Morning Office (on site), Fridays Mornings at 7:30 AM (Chapel) and virtual Saturdays.
Walking with Purpose
This year's Walking With Purpose season was very successful with 26 women participating. Our Bible study this year, “Discovering Our Dignity,” explored many amazing women throughout the Old and New Testaments. We also were proud to hold a late-spring session which featured some of our group reading St. Therese of Lisieux's autobiography and discussions leading to a deeper understanding of Walking with Purpose's patron saint. The sense of community among our two groups reinforced our shared faith and renewed friendships. Kathy Woolston was instrumental in promoting our programs. We're looking forward to offering two new Bible studies next year as well as our foundational study, “Opening Your Heart.”
Elena Brooke Ajami
Jack Joseph Bajcar
Brady Kevin Bernard
Cameron James Brodsky
Gabriella Nicole Caggiano
Henry James Cascone
Shane Brian Cassidy
Ava Rose Capardi
Ethan Daniel Clark
Ella Valentina Deale-Thurmond
Jack Leonardo Decaro
Patrick Michael Duffy
Dillon Thomas Erbe
Alessandro Olivio Ferrari
Louie Umberto Ferrier
Elle Elizabeth Hursa
Thomas Xavier Kayser
Geoffrey Daniel Kelly
Giovanna Marie LoPresti
Ruby Lucia Lucas
Birdie Ella Luthmann
Bridget Mary Mahoney
Alessia Mancino
Miranda Noelle Mason
Henry John Peri
Savanna Lily Perruzzi
Allora Josephine Randazzo
Parker Anthony Robbins
Daniel Joseph Sackstein
Zoe Athena Salcedo
Dawson Christopher Strafaci
Amara Marie Thurmond
Kallie Rae Tobia
Charlotte Mary Twamley
Callan Elizabeth Walsh
Jack Brennan Walsh
Colton William Wissman
Shawn Taylor Woodward
Parish Statistics
Casey John Aiello
Adriana Marie Alagna
Leia Alaina Asadi
Alexandra Noelle Atik
Santino Philip Berardi
Ava Jewel Boucher
Layla Alice Bradach
Katelyn Marie Ciniglia
Francisco Javier Colomer
Grace Kelly Covalesky
William John Dawson
Michael Christian Denora
Hailey Quinn DeVito
Jesse William Erbe
Jake Anthony Fedina
Michael Paul Gaglio, Jr.
Abigail Josephine Glazier
Christian Joseph Hanley
Eveleigh Elizabeth Hursa
Miranda Noelle Mason
Diana Michelle Mason
Hannah Lynn Koempel
Bode Anthony Kraszewski
Wright Borden Kraszewski
Nicolas Peter Labriola
James Brian Lennan
Olivia Marie Linquito
Colton River Reese
Julianna Catherine Savage
Anthony Salvatore Magro
Luca Ray Montana
Caia Serafina Nicholson
Michael Vincent Paolino
Leo Theodore Patlen
Charlotte Elizabeth Pires
Sophie Elizabeth Pizzillo
Stella Josephine Scaccia
Clara Judith Sette
Natalie Ann Statile
Gavin Joseph Strouse
Trevor James Sues
Heidi Lynn Weber
Kelyn Dean Woodward
Greer Barbara Reed
Shawn Taylor Woodward
Sophia Teresa Aiello
Luciana Therese Therese Amadeo
Sabrina Sylvia Apolito
Ava Rose Teresa Augustine
Michael James Patrick Bacile
Victoria Maria Catherine Beninato
Olivia Therese Rita Brown
Dennis James Anthony Bruch
Gavin Matthew Nicholas Brunelli
Thomas Joseph Blaise Bujnowski
Elizabeth Grace Micheala Buzzetta
Mattilyn Joan Caffiero
Maximilian Jon James Clemente
Kiersten Lorraine Cecilia Cygal
Valentina Eva Rose Dugo
Lola Jaymes Rose Esposito
Samantha Teresa Faiella
Ava Rose Mary Failla
Julian Salvatore Micheal Fortunato
Amanda Lee Catherine Garfield
Matthew Gregory John Gibson
Abby Rita Girgis
Ian Joseph Girgis
Mia Carrigan Francis Grant
Matthew Salvatore Rocco Gugliara
Sophia Juliet Lillian Hennessey
Gianna Pio Innucci
Gavin Mark Vincent Koster
Joshua Zander Maia Genesius Lopes
Kirsten Julianna Margaret Lukowitz
Nicholas Stephen Anthony Marx
Diana Michelle Therese Mason
Miranda Noelle Martin Mason
Ryan Gorman Christopher McKay
Tatiana Marina Olivia Miele-DiFabio
Sean Michael James Moore
Pedro Henrique Micheal Navroski
Rowan Joseph O’Connor
Alessia Teresa Palmeri
James Patrick Pellechio-Manfredi
Christopher M Andrew Quincannon Jr.
Dylan Matthew Anthony Reger
Kenneth Fredrick Gabriel Rogers
Andrij Anthony Peter Rudko
Christopher Steven Anthony Sabin, Jr.
Luke Joseph Joseph Sans
Audrey Catherine Schibell
Charles Liam Francis Strausbaugh
Andrew Martin Anthony Taeschler
Charles Anthony Micheal Tappen
Amelia Loren Teresa Thompson
Maia Grace Michael Treacy-Noble
Sara Grace Cecelia Trumino
Sofia Teresa Tzoulis
Stella Catherine Tzoulis
Sophia Ernesta Faith Valente
Nathan Anthony Joseph Weller-Oldani
Shawn Taylor Joseph Woodward
Michael Davis Cecelia Wrate
Parish Statistics (continued)
Aaron Lowell Sackstein & Kristine Marie Collins
Louis Anthony Cannizzaro & Amanda Marie Condie
Robert Peter DiFrancia & Sondra Joyce De Luca
John Geremy Sillano Estrella & Olivia Anne Miclat Felibrico
Daniel Jonathan Medler & Sara Brooke Giventer
Daniel Robert Rizk & Michelle Marie Greco
Michael Vincent Greene & Nina Josephine Innocenzi
Dillon Grant Gilbertson & Kerrilynn Ruth Lanza
Joseph Anthony Lepore & Samantha Nicole Maxted
John Anthony Coppola & Jennifer Anne McNelis
Ricardo Luis Labrador & Janine Marie Provine
Anthony John Vazzana & Nicole Ann Pucchio
Matthew Edward Cunningham & Brittany Lynn Richards
Matthew LaCava & Samantha Jo Volpe
Nicholas Joseph Tagliavia & Jessica Lynn Wright
Libero Barbara
Janice Carter Baselice
James Bochicchio
Joseph Brunsden
Mary Brunsden
Gloria Capeci
Brendan Cassidy
John Cavanaugh
Georgio S Cipriano
Dermott William Clancy
Doreen Cutrona
Helen DeCerce
Robert DiFalco
Theresa Dobrowolski
Frank Donahue
Stanley Drusdow
Lawrence Duffy
Rocco Angelo Ferranti
Timothy Foley
Carl Fortunato
Edward Gaines
Christopher Francis Gerhard
Carol Giordano
Carl Gulino
Juan Gutierrez
Albert J Herman
Gregory Howard
Margaret J Howe
Jon Kopko
Elizabeth Linskens
Joseph Martinho
Lorraine Martins
Louise Martorana
John Messina
John Pancetti
Hilde-Ann Peckyno
Geraldine Taylor Reilly
Frederick Louis Schmitt
Dora Servidio
Thomas Raymond Shearman
Louis Sliazis
Alice Smilie
Paulo Pio Tonacci
Anna LaPlaca Ullrich
Giuseppe Valenti
Vincent Valentino
Rita Wagar
Kathleen Walsh
Calendar Year 2023 Weekly Average
Total Contributing Households: 763 $ 859,756
Visitor Offerings & Loose Cash $ 41,661
Total Weekly $ 901,417
Total Weekly Deposit Average
51 weeks not including Easter $ 17,675
Weekly Gift Average
Offertory Ranges
Collections Data by Fund
1 Reflects parish shutdown due to pandemic 3/2020-6/2020
Pope francis’ Year of Prayer
The Jubilee Prayer
Father in heaven, may the faith you have given us in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel. May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of Evil vanquished, your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth. To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever. Amen.
The Parish of SAINT MARY
A Catholic Community Proclaiming the Greatness of God in Our Time ⚜ ⚜