Stewardship Report 2021- July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022

2021

INSIDE THIS

Parish of Saint Mary, Colts Neck

Faith In Our Future

was announced several years ago by His Excellency, The Most Reverend Bishop of Trenton to assist pastors and pastoral leaders to envision a future that respects doctrine and tradition without being enslaved to current structures. This announcement was greeted with hope and fear by many pastors. The idea of evaluating current practices through the lenses of demographic shifts has set many on edge. The status quo provides a comfort level that can yield a false sense of security. Challenges, even the most subtle, can unsettle every aspect of the community.

The practical cooperation envisioned by Faith in Our Future is not radical. It is not something that is legislated from the top. It is a call for co responsibility at the local level. Certainly it is the responsibility of the Diocesan Bishop to provide for the needs of the flock. However, there is no single blueprint as to how that service is provided. Pastors, Trustees, Parish Staff, Lay Leaders have a keen insight as to how demographics are shifting in their local communities. Pastors, as local representatives of the Diocesan Bishop, are called to lead the community into the future with hope. Pastors are being called to abandon narrow parochial visions that have been wrought with competition and embrace the call to share resources and responsibilities across parish boundaries for the good of the People of God in service to the mission of the Church.

Our clergy team is one way of overcoming barriers. Msgr. Troiano & Msgr. Walsh regularly assist at Saint Catherine of Genoa Parish, Holmdel and Saint Mary, Colts Neck celebrating weekend and weekday masses in service to the people. Father Gene Savarimuthu who, while Chaplain in the NJ National Guard, lived in 07722. During those 17 months, assisted primarily at Saint Gabriel, Marlboro and Saint Leo the Great, Lincroft and to a lesser degree at Saint Catherine and Saint Mary. These are simple and practical ways we can provide for the needs of the people and supporting one another as priests.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is another way in which we are cooperating. The team overseeing the catechesis and ritual is comprised of parishioners from both parishes. Additionally, we have begun to offer support of music ministry especially during vacations as well as funerals and weddings. These small steps may seem quite different from our lived experience; however, given all of the factors and challenges we face in our post pandemic world it is responsible stewardship of the resources entrusted to us.

I am confident and hopeful that our parish, and our co hort 13 are beginning to chart a course that will keep us strong in service to the People of God. I invite you to read through the following pages. Our staff persons provide information about their respective areas of oversight. The statistics help us to see a snapshot of who and how many we are directly serving in addition to our Sunday Masses. The financial data provides you with information of how we are funding the current operation and managing short term debt liabilities. Thank you for your generous Stewardship of Time, Talent & Treasure. Through the intercession of Mary, Seat of Wisdom, let us grow in our service to the poor & needy, marginalized and one another as we build the Kingdom of God in our midst. Peace

From the Pastor

Reverend Fr. Jeffrey E. Lee MDiv, MA, ThM

Fifth Pastor

J. Macirowski, B. M. E. Pastoral Coordinator for Worship & Music

Worship & Music

This article deals mainly with the Mass attendance, ministry involvement, and the needs for the future of our worshiping community.

MASS ATTENDANCE, WORSHIP PRACTICES, AND STEWARDSHIP

The first half of this is straight forward, while the second half takes some explaining. What is “active” participation? 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”. 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. We have also restored the altar that was used in years prior. It now serves as a devotional altar in front of the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary (which rotates between liturgical seasons and months). This altar also serves as a place to write personal prayer intentions, in the binder provided for that purpose.

At the end of fiscal year 2021, that had dropped to 92, As of June 2022, that number is now 88. There are several reasons for this great decrease. Some volunteers have not returned since the reopening of our church nor since the ending of the dispensation. Others have retired from their ministries due to health, or have downsized and moved from Colts Neck. We also took the initiative to clean up our database, removing those volunteers who were still listed as “active”, but were no longer participating. Many of our volunteers work hard and often. While this is certainly commendable, some individuals end up serving with much

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.

The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise him to the greatest extent of our powers.” St.MaximillianKolbe

Andrew

Prior

Our Ministries and Members

The reception of the Holy Eucharist and active participation in the liturgy remain the hallmarks of our Catholic identity when we gather for worship.

Worship & Music continued

greater frequency than others; sometimes by choice, but more often by necessity. At each weekend Mass, it should be expected that the following positions are filled:

Altar Servers

At least one for most Masses, two are preferable. For Solemnities, two are required and four are desirable.

Ushers

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.

Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion

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.

Children’s Liturgy of the Word 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 near future.

Music

We have one staff cantor and three 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 of about eight regular members and we would like to see that number double.

Sacristans

At least one 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.

A secondary issue compounds the first 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 extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion often attend the same Masses week after week, resulting in difficulty to find coverage if one attends a different Mass, is on vacation, etc.

 The 8AM Mass was often the most difficult to schedule altar servers, but now we have several families who prefer that time. More weeks than not, there are none scheduled for the Noon Mass.

 Many of our older servers have gone off to college, without a large number of younger children to fill their spots.

 We previously had a large team of ushers; but we have seen a steep drop in the number of ushers available per Mass

In order to alleviate these concerns, it is recommended that volunteers consider attending different Mass times and signing up to do so with 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 more important than ever, and it is not a coincidence that these

Worship & Music continued

times are always busy times with family and out of church activities. The preparations of the campus for Christmas and Easter require a great deal of labor, not all of it physical, but volunteers are severely lacking during those times. The making of commitments to serve on Holy Days is also proving difficult. To use the same feasts and Solemnities as examples, there are 5 Christmas Masses, 5 Masses for the Triduum and Easter, plus the Good Friday service, each requiring many hands to function efficiently, and we often go with empty positions for many of those Masses. At these times, when Mass attendance is great as family, friends and visitors join us for worship, it is ever more critical to fully staff our ministries.

ALL THINGS MUSICAL

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. Many who attend weekday Mass 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 the weekend liturgies, the 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. As with all of our ministries, we saw a decrease in music ministry. Calling attention to our congregation size, our music ministry should have double the amount of members that it currently does, especially where the choir and handbell ensemble are concerned. 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. Our annual summer concert series which began in 2018 had to pause for 2020 2022 due to the pandemic, but dates are already being planned for 2023. We are also exploring other opportunities for the sharing of music outside of Mass. Earlier this year, we also welcomed Dr. Carly York to our music and worship team, who brings over twenty five years of liturgical music experience and expertise and is both and enthusiastic and humble member of our community. As always, the music ministry thrives with larger numbers and all who are inclined are encouraged to join.

Cooperation We have begun cooperating with the community of Saint Catharine Parish in Holmdel, sharing clergy on weekends, coordinating music ministers, and running a joint RCIA program. This kind of cooperation allows us to bring the best of both communities together to help each other, not because we have to, rather because we want to and the results are nothing but beneficial.

Final Thoughts We are a strong, prayerful, and active faith community. The challenge remains that a smaller than average percentage of active parishioners are engaged in ministry. 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 Holy Spirt directs you, the community is always grateful for the contributions of its members. May God bless.

A. Sevillano, MBA

Temporal Administration

This past year has been positive and promising while nationwide recession fears must keep us vigilant. Anxiety caused by COVID 19 seems to have dissipated as most restrictions have been lifted and a sense of being back to normal is widespread. Our country and the world have entered into an economic cool down and inflation period which will bring more challenges as we plan and budget for the upcoming fiscal period. We keep the faith and remain optimistic. Our parishioners are aware and understand our increasing financial needs as we move forward. This report aims to provide the state of the Parish of Saint Mary at the end of fiscal year 2021 2022 and offer accountability to you our stakeholders. Let’s review the accomplishments and highlights of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022.

STEWARDSHIP

Our parishioners were more active participating and volunteering for our events and celebrations in the past as they are doing at the present time. This is especially noticeable in our liturgical ministries as we continue to struggle to recruit new lectors, altar servers, ushers and others to serve our weekend masses and even at the most important celebrations in the calendar such as Christmas and Easter. We are grateful for those who have stepped up to the plate and share their time and talent with us, but the needs are continually growing and many hands make the work light. While it is understandable people are generally busy managing different aspects of their lives (home, work, schools, sports…) it is also important to devote some hours out of our already busy schedules to help out with the needs of our local parish. This is not just a responsibility of a few “die hard” parishioners, but we are all co responsible of keeping our parish community vibrant and alive. There are plenty of opportunities to help and for all ages. In addition to the ministries mentioned above, we are always looking for office volunteers to help at the front desk answering the phones; hall monitors during our Religious Education classes; sponsors and companions for those in the process of becoming Catholics or completing their initiation; members of committees for events and celebrations; and many others. Please feel free to contact me or any other staff members if you are interested in volunteering. Your willingness to get involved is really appreciated. Our Sunday collection remained steady for the first half of the year as a direct effect of the Offertory Recovery Program we launched in the fall of 2020. There was a slight decline in the last few months of the year with people traveling or relocating to their summer houses. By the end of the fiscal year the Sunday collection had decreased almost 3% as compared to the prior year but we were still 2% over budget. Our conservative budget for year ending June 2023 in light of the country economic slowdown is $815,000. It is important to remark that our Sunday collection funds primarily our personnel salaries and benefits, which require over $12,000 a week for the current fiscal period. The Christmas collection was our highest on record. It jumped almost $20,000 as compared

There has been a significant decrease in giving of Time and Talent as compared to a few years ago before the pandemic.

Edwin

PastoralAssociateforTemporalAdministration,Stewardship&Outreach

Temporal Administration

to Christmas 2020 with a 10% increase in parishioner participation in the same period. The Easter collection was our second highest as Easter 2021 is the record high so far. Participation increased about 2.5% which is always important. Both Christmas and Easter show a growing trend of parishioners sending in their offerings before and after the actual day of celebration, which make us proud of the level of commitment and stewardship for these important occasions in the liturgical year.

The monthly Building and Mortgage Reduction collection fell almost 15% as compared to the prior year. It is important to keep in mind our financial obligations as we started paying off our mortgage principal in November 2021. Our current mortgage payments are over $95,000 per year and we just collected a little over $40,000 in our monthly collection, which is about 42% of what is needed.

The support for the Poor and Needy has increased in participation among our parishioners especially in the Food collection program, the Thanksgiving food drive and new initiatives such as the Blessing Bags and Fishers of Men. Our revenues for the poor and needy fund are mostly able to cover the requests for assistance and the subsidy from our general fund has decreased over the years.

The Diocesan capital campaign Faith to Move Mountains continues on the redemption stage with only 21 pledges remaining to be paid. $1,208,851 have been received by 30 June 2022 out of the total pledged of over $1.3 million. We remind and urge our parishioners to continue making your pledge payments as the parish benefits from the rebates received from the campaign. We are at the tipping point to start receiving 70% of pledges paid after satisfying our goal.

The 2022 Annual Catholic Appeal launched in February with the same goal of $75,000 as in recent years. At the time of preparing this report (summer 2022) 193 households have pledged to the ACA raising $69,970, which means we need to raise $5,030 more to secure a rebate. A total of $55,673 has already been paid to date. Based on parishioner participation last year, we are confident to exceed our goal again in the ACA 2022 and have budgeted a rebate of $15,000. It is pertinent to remind our parishioners the importance of supporting the Annual Catholic Appeal every year as it provides funding for the diocesan ministries and programs which benefit the larger church, while at the same time our parish receives a rebate when we reach our goal.

We also received a special restricted donation towards replacing the Baptismal Font. Our font has been giving us so many problems recently due to mortar in its seams being dried out and failing. All attempts to repair it are not long lasting and it has become a maintenance nightmare. A couple of faithful parishioners approached our Pastor inquiring about it and decided to make a significant donation of $100,000 towards the purchase and installation of a new baptismal font. The project includes designing a one piece granite bowl and a marble stand with new plumbing, heating, recycling and sanitizing system. It is our goal to have the new font installed by Easter 2023, provided the global chain supply issues do not delay materials shipped from abroad.

Temporal Administration continued

Narthex Completion – Phase II:

In the fall we continued phase II of the church narthex completion project which consisted of installing stained glass in the clerestory windows. We had already installed 2 stained glass windows in the western elevation of the narthex/gathering space when it was repainted and conditioned for the statue of the Blessed Mother. The remainder windows over the western elevation were installed in October; the southern elevation windows were installed in early December; and the northern windows were completed in January 2022.

FACILITIES

Main campus tree

trimming and removal: It had been several years since our trees had received our attention other than periodic fertilizing and pest treatment. This year something affected ash trees not just in our property but everywhere in New Jersey. Sadly we had no choice but to remove them. There were also a number of trees planted around the northern parking lot which were not appropriate for the strong winds frequently blowing in our property. Despite fertilization they had not grown and had to be removed. Conversations had started with a landscape designer to replace these trees with the proper application to not just beautify our campus but also withstand better the forces of nature.

LED lighting upgrade:

We continued the work to upgrade our lighting to more efficient, energy saving and long lasting LED fixtures. We addressed first the canopies over the church entrance and childcare building replacing the fluorescent light fixtures with round surface mounted LED lights. Next we worked inside the childcare building from the hallway link starting in Parish Hall to the hallway link to the Spiritual Center building. Similar to the Spiritual Center we chose 2 ft by 2 ft flat LED lights across the board improving the illumination in classrooms, hallways and recreational areas. This project has been partially funded by the 2021 Annual Catholic Appeal rebate and the remaining by the expected rebate for the ACA 2022.

Parish house backyard: This project was continued where we left off and the end of the prior fiscal year. The remaining areas of the parish house backyard which were not finished then were covered with architectural turf and stone. The completed work has increased the property resale value as well as lowered the ever rising maintenance costs.

The following are some of the capital projects we have completed this past fiscal year at our facilities:

Temporal Administration

OUTREACH

We have not reached pre pandemic levels of direct support requests but the needs continue to grow and we can only anticipate more and more requests for emergency financial assistance. We have also continued to support the efforts of key organizations like the Catholic Charities, Collier Youth Services, Mount Carmel Guild and St Jude Children's Hospital. The Thanksgiving Food drive hit another record of participation last year. Our parishioners continued to support the thanksgiving food collection and provided monetary donations to purchase turkeys which price per pound had increased. Scores of young volunteers participated in the sorting and packing of bags. 265 grocery bags for Thanksgiving dinner and over 63 bags of mixed groceries were distributed to the needy in our larger community. Additionally, potatoes, onions, rutabagas, and 180 turkeys were purchased and donated. The Tree of Love, Sponsor A Family and our direct Charitable Appeals were important efforts to make Christmas very special for hundreds of children and their families. Most of the requests made by our partner organization were in the form of gift cards due to chain supply issues and post pandemic precautions. Our other outreach efforts like the Fishers of Men food collection for Ash Wednesday and the Blessing Bags collection of personal hygiene items were well received and engaged entire families in participation.

COMMUNITY BUILDING EVENTS

The biggest and most important celebration of the year was the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of St Mary Parish on its current location. The date chosen was June 5, the liturgical Solemnity of Pentecost. A committee of parishioners was assembled to manage the details of the celebration: food trucks, inflatables, tents, music and volunteers. It was a beautiful spring day that started with a Solemn Mass at 3 PM celebrated by Bishop David O’Connell and concelebrated by our Pastor Fr. Jeff and a number of priests from the diocese. At the conclusion of mass, the celebration continued with a picnic on our grounds. Those who signed up and participated of the event enjoyed a wonderful time and camaraderie with other fellow parishioners. Our traditional Halloween Halls happened the last Saturday in October with many families taking care of decorating the rooms, the trick or

We resumed the direct support to the poor and needy for emergencies responding not just to cases received at St Mary but also other cases by request of our partner organizations in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Temporal Administration continued

treaters in their costumes attending 4 PM Mass and the event following. Similarly our Easter Egg Hunt returned in April on the second Sunday of Easter, bringing many families to hunt for eggs and have a good time together. We also hosted 2 successful parish grounds cleanups in the fall and spring. Again dozens of volunteer families and teens helped us rake leaves, collect brush, clean planting beds, plant flowers in the spring and tidy up our property in preparation for the major Holy Days of Christmas and Easter.

As we conclude this report, we want to continue acknowledging the participation and stewardship of our parishioners. None of the above would have been possible without YOU and the sacrifices you make to support us. We hope this new fiscal year will be positive despite inflation and concerns about a recession. Your commitment to your parish shall remain despite adversity. Our plans to continue projects in our facilities require your continued financial support. These capital projects include: the Children Play Area; Church LED lighting upgrade with seed money from Faith to Move Mountains; electric vehicle chargers in our parking lot; parish house windows replacement and upgrade; and the installation of the new baptismal font. If you are interested in knowing more about our projects and needs and how you can help us, please contact me by email at temporaladmin@stmaryscoltsneck.org or by phone at 732 780 2666 extension 312. May God bless you all!

Susan Lambert, CPA

Fiscal Overview: Year Ending June 30, 2022

As a result of the faithfulness of the parishioners, the Parish of Saint Mary continues to navigate well during a time of inflation and other economic issues. Here are some of the highlights:

Year over year total revenue decreased by $233,952 from last year with the most significant reason for the decline including: 

Last year there was a one time government PPP grant received for $101,863 

Bequests/Restricted donations were lower this year by $107,696

total offertory collections were slightly lower in current year ($4,099) 

Less funds were released from Faith to Move Mountains reserve of $57,787

Negative variances partially offset by increases in Mass stipends, Perquisites and Stole Fee, rebate from diocesan Annual Catholic Appeal and others.

Total expenses year over year declined by $9,494. Significant increases in Materials & Supplies of $40,088 for increasing cost of Liturgical supplies and Religious Ed./Faith Formation were offset by extraordinary expense savings of $74,800 realized by deferring projects originally budgeted in current year.

The overall financial condition: 

Accrual Method is used as mandated by the Diocesan of Trenton since the Affordable Care Act was established. 

Vendor payables decreased due to fewer invoices received and paid after end of fiscal year June 30, 2022. (see page 15 Liabilities) 

All elementary and secondary school support was paid in this fiscal year. 

Building Loan: Balance after principal and interest payments $777,355. Balloon payment due October 2026. Small Business Administration EIDL loan expected to be paid during the fiscal year 2026 2027. (see page 15 Loans Payable) 

Revenue less Expenses $58,647 minus Building Loan principal payment ($47,645) and FTMM rebate transfer to Forward in Faith Trust ($22,213) = ($11,211) Net Operating Loss 30 June 2022. (see page 15 Financial Consolidation Summary) 

Budget projections for the Fiscal Year Ending 30 June 2023 anticipate a deficit of ($63,846).

Considerations: 

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.

As some of our parishioners are experiencing difficulties coping with inflationary impact on their personal lives, the Parish of St. Mary is also struggling to make ends meet with additional costs. Any additional support your means would allow would be greatly appreciated.

Statement of Financial Operations

REVENUES

Offertory

Actual Actual Budget FYE 6/30/21 FYE 6/30/22 FYE 6/30/23

Weekly Offerings $ 844,322 $ 821,502 $ 815,000 Christmas 111,336 130,873 115,000

Easter 90,024 87,640 80,000

Mortgage Reduction/Building Fund 46,625 40,147 38,000

Charitable Giving 33,713 28,571 50,000 Special Collections Missions, etc. 15,025 28,213 25,000

Total Offertory 1,141,045 1,136,946 1,123,000

Religious Education Tuition 100,950 104,030 100,000

Bequests/Restricted Donations 213,422 105,726 151,500

Annual Catholic Appeal Rebate 16,549 15,000

Mass Stipends, Perquisites & Stole Fees 34,068 44,638 33,500

FTMM Rebate 80,000 22,213 200,000

Candle Revenue 19,311 17,512 16,500

Government Grant PPP 101,863 67,208 Other Revenue (LUAM, etc) 2,234 11,327 12,000

TOTAL REVENUES $ 1,692,893 $ 1,458,941 $ 1,718,708

EXPENSES

Salaries & Wages 416,602 418,630 496,630

Employee Benefits 116,927 116,608 136,370

Diocesan Assesments & Catholic School Support 171,159 158,398 165,254 Materials and Supplies 99,225 139,313 148,500

Building/Grounds/Equip Maintenance & Repairs 267,653 278,929 216,200

Mortgage Interest Payments 25,448 24,346 25,000

Extraordinary Expenses 82,278 7,478 300,000

Charitable Giving 33,404 28,905 50,000

Special Collection Disbursements 15,025 28,213 25,000

Property and Liability Insurance 67,646 74,400 79,500 Utilities 55,124 63,746 67,500

Professional Fees 32,909 20,510 29,600

Other Expenditures 26,388 40,818 43,000

1,400,294

1,782,554

LIABILITIES

Restricted Funds

RESTRICTED RESERVED FUNDS

Capital

FundstorepaybuildingloanballoonandSBA EIDL.Goal$650,000by2026.Investment strategyGrowthwithIncome

LONG TERM RESTRICTED FUNDS

Capital

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

With many changes that came out of the pandemic last year, we took the opportunity to make good, positive adjustments and improvements to our religious education program. The children flourished in many on campus/in person classes, new live online classes, and many great events and programs throughout the year. We were also blessed to end the year with a celebration of 50 years of the establishment of our parish.

The Summer Intensive Program 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. All protocols were followed, including masks and hand sanitizing. This session ran for four hours each day to take into account breaks, snack time and special presentations. We had a total of 181 students in grades 1 through 6 participate overall in our summer program. With 87 students enrolled in July and 94 students enrolled in August. Professional Catholic school teachers successfully taught and guided the children through their faith journey. We also implemented Loyola Press’ Growing With God Safe Environment program for all students for the first time this year. A total of 6 lessons were completed along with the 25 lessons in the Finding God book series also from Loyola Press. We surveyed the parents at the end of the program to find out that they were overall happy with the program and how it was implemented. The survey also showed that parents were happy with the two options July virtual and August in person.

Our fall program for grades 3 6 kicked off a brand new model of live google classroom. We had such a great summer experience, that we knew it was time to implement this same model with our fall students. We are happy to report that it was great success. A total of 73 students were enrolled in this fall program. Families had the options of either a weekly Tuesday 4:30 class or a weekly Wednesday 6pm hour class. The classes ran from late September 2021 to early May 2022. This brand new fall program proved to be a success and we will continue to provide this options for our religious education families.

Julia Cullen, PCL

Pastoral Coordinator for Faith Formation/Religious Education

This year has been a busy year of getting back to business.

Religious Education continued

Our fall on campus religious education program for grades 1 and 2 was a great success this year. This two year, Frist Communion Prep program had a total of 41 first and second graders who came to the church Tuesday afternoons for in person religious education classes. We followed protocols throughout the year and the children and catechist were very happy to take off the masks starting in March when protocols were lifted. We were blessed to see smiling faces again in our classrooms!

We celebrated First Communion for our previous year of second graders, as well as a handful of students who had differed. We had a total of 65 children receive their First Holy Communion in October of 2021. Over four different masses, these children received the Sacrament of the most Holy Communion for the very first time. We were sure to have two rehearsals to ensure everyone knew what to do and how to make this a wonderful experience for them and their families. With all of the positive feedback, we have decided to keep the celebration of this Blessed Sacrament in the fall going forward.

In December 2021, we had all those who are preparing for First Communion next fall 2022 attend their very first Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation. We were blessed with 12 pastors to administer the Sacrament. Again this year, we were blessed with record numbers of parishioners who attended this Advent Penance service.

For all of our Religious Education students, there is an Intergenerational component. Each religious education student must attend at least four of these programs or events throughout the year. This year we had a grand total of 20 events to choose from and all the events can be broken down into three categories: Community, Liturgical or Service.

Religious Education continued

The following is a list of the Intergenerationals offered: Fall Movie Day

September, 26, 2021 beginning at the 12pm mass, movie in the theater

Halloween Halls

October 30, 2021 beginning at the 4pm mass

Sponsor a Family Program

Collection of donations

Wrapping gifts

Delivering gifts

Thanksgiving Food Drive

Collection of donated food

Packing truck for delivery

Parish Clean up of grounds

Fall: Saturday, November 20, 2021

Spring: Saturday, April 2, 2022

9am to 12pm

Decorating the Spiritual Center Rotunda for Christmas

Advent Penance and Reconciliation

December 5, 2021

3pm in the Chapel

Decorating of Narthex Nativity

Light up a Memory-Tree Lighting and Christmas carols

December 11, 2021, following the 4pm Mass

Fishers of Men-Food collection for the hungry

Presentation in church for all ages (grades1 8), craft for young children (grades1 6, grades 7 8 help facilitate)

March 2, 2022 after the 4pm and 5:30 Ash distribution

Religious Education continued

Lenten Penance

April 3, 2022

3pm in the Chapel

Holy Thursday Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper

April 14, 2022, at 7 pm Mass

Good Friday

April 15, 2022

Church service at noon, outdoor Stations of the Cross at 3pm Easter Vigil

Saturday, April 15, 2022 evening mass Easter Egg Hunt

April 24, 2022 beginning at the 12pm mass

Spring Movie Day

May 15, 2022 beginning at the 12pm mass, movie in the theater May Day-May Crowning, May 7, 2021, followed by the 5pm mass Craft in Madonna Hall

Parish Picnic-50th Anniversary of the Establishment of the parish June 5, 2022 beginning at the 3pm mass followed on the parish grounds

As shown, there were many opportunities to engage the religious education families as well as parishioners. Many of the intergenerationals were met with record setting numbers this year. The fall cleanup was extremely successful as was the Advent Penance and Reconciliation service. The Easter Egg Hunt came back this year after a two year hiatus and we are happy to announce that we had record numbers of volunteers as well as participants. The Easter Bunny had a photo booth and the 500 plus filled eggs decorated the parish grounds for the children to enjoy. The parish picnic was a beautiful mass followed by a parish picnic with fun for the whole family. Food trucks, inflatables and a DJ added to the day and provided for a wonderful community building afternoon. This year has been a tremendous success here at our parish for our Religious Education program. We implemented new curriculum and classes and all were met with positive feedback. We are also seeing more participation in our intergenerationas and pray that this positive trend will only continue, as it is the families themselves that make this Religious Education program what it is!

Rose Farrow

Youth & Adult Catechesis

CONFIRMATION

Students begin transitioning from the traditional school house model in the 7th grade and into a Faith Sharing model. Students begin reviewing what they’ve been taught in their previous years and are challenged to intellectualize and apply the faith to their lives. The Faith journey is the life journey. Faith and life do not exist in mutually exclusivity. Faith is not intended only to be celebrated at Sunday Mass, but lived in every aspect of life. Confirmation prep challenges our young people to accept the faith teachings of the Church and internalize these practices in their lives every day. They are challenged to live lives that give glory to God.

The Confirmation prep students for 2021 22 year had for the second year Virtual Google classroom or in person on campus options for religious education. The 7th grade had 51 students opt to participate in the Sunday Virtual option and 17 attended Monday afternoon class on campus. Our 8th grade had 43 Virtual students and 17 on campus students. Two teachers were hired and we were fortunate to find two VIRTUS trained, catechist certified volunteers to fill the need where we were unable to hire teachers. Monsignor Walsh gave two retreats for our students and their parents. 7th grade stu-

Pastoral Coordinator for Faith Formation/Youth & Adult Catechesis

The Confirmation prep program takes students along a new journey in religious education.

Youth & Adult Catechesis continued

The Confirmation prep students are called to put their faith into action and live out their Christian duty. Students participated in parish life in the following service projects: the Thanksgiving Food drive, the Parish Fall and Spring clean up, they helped decorate the Church for Christmas, sponsored a family in the parish Sponsor a Family program, Fishers of Men Lenten food drive, and contributed to the parish Soap SACK drive. They helped contribute several hundred Valentine’s for our military personnel at Earle Naval base and Earle McGuire veteran homes. The Confirmation prep students also sponsored a parish wide Blessing Bag Brigade. 127 students attended the packing event and packed 532 complete Blessing Bags for the homeless and all extra supplies were donated to Blessing Bags for future need. The youth are not the future of the Catholic Church, they are the Church. They are here learning, worshipping, and growing in faith. Pray for our Confirmation candidates 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 that they become great models of faith.

“Always we begin again.” St.Benedict

Youth & Adult Catechesis

continued

RCIA (RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS):

The quality of their lives, the concern and interest they show, the manner of worship, the commitment to social action all of this is the where and how of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. People come to a particular community to become part of that community. It is the community’s responsibility not only to welcome them, but to show the interested persons what makes the community distinctive, what makes it a Catholic Christian community.” Thomas H. Morris, The RCIA

Transforming the Church

This year the Parish of St. Mary joined our Cohort parish of St. Catharine, in a combined RCIA team. We hope to add to the team any parishioners who feel called to share the faith. The ministry team which is comprised of members from both parishes, along with Monsignor Walsh serving as the clergy moderator accompanied [a combined] nine inquirers on the faith journey of Christian Initiation.

The parish of St. Mary had one Catechumen and one Candidate brought into full initiation to the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. The RCIA team continues to walk with the remaining Catechumens and Candidates through the RCIA process. Both parishes expect to welcome these people fully into the Catholic faith at the 2023 Easter Vigil. The team will continue to bear witness and walk in faith with those who are still going through the process of discernment and catechesis. We ask that parishioners continue to keep those who are seeking God, as well as those who minister to them in your prayers.

“The primary minister of initiation in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the parish community.

Youth & Adult Catechesis

ADULT BIBLE STUDY

Since 2013, Bible Study Programs have been offered at the Parish of Saint Mary.

The program helps foster:  Familiarity with the Bible and ease of reading it 

Bible study habits consistent with the guidelines of the Catholic Church  Personal engagement in the Word of God  Faith sharing based on the Word of God  Growth in knowledge about Scripture and the Catholic Faith

We have an Evening and Morning Session to accommodate participants who want to continue their journey in the study of Sacred Scripture, especially in light of the biblical narrative in light of Catholic teaching, as well as the historical, cultural, literary context of the Scriptures, and what Scripture reveals about God’s plan and our place within it.

We have been using the Ascension Press Series for the studies. This past cycle, we have studied:

The Letter to the EPHESIANS

EXODUS

The Letter to the GALATIANS

Epic: The Early Church

Upcoming Study for October 2022:  Morning Session

The Gospel According to Matthew  Evening Session

EPIC – A Journey Through Church History

Youth & Adult Catechesis continued

MORNING OFFICE

The Thursday Men’s Morning Office has been meeting weekly on Thursdays since 1981 when it was formed by now Pastor Emeritus William J. Bausch. They continue to get 20 +/ men meeting in person every Thursday morning at 7:00 am for prayer. The prayer service concludes by 7:30 am, and then enjoy coffee, donuts and camaraderie for 15 20 minutes before all are on their way for the day. Since last year, they have men from the Parishes of St. Leo and St. Catharine becoming regular attendees.

Women’s Morning Office takes place in the Chapel of Saint Mary, on Friday Mornings, 7:30 am 8:15 am. Women of the parish gather in weekly for ‘Song, Scripture, Reflection, Eucharist, Sharing, and Prayer’, praying for our parish and community. Women’s Morning Office also takes place on Saturday mornings, via Zoom, 10:00 am 11:15 am. It doesn’t matter whether you are in New Jersey, Arizona, or North Carolina, we gather in prayer.

SESSIONS HELD PARTICIPANTS

50 (on-site)

5/session

50 (via Zoom) 7/session

WALKING WITH PURPOSE

FY 2021 2022 was year nine (9) of Walking with Purpose (WWP) Programming at St Mary Parish.

How wonderful that we have longevity in programming so that woman participants can continue to encounter and strengthen their relationships with Christ through bible studies and faith sharing. Post Covid WWP groups met in person at St. Mary’s both during the day from 10:001m 11:30am and in the evening from 7:00 8:30pm. Twenty two (22) woman participated in the 22 week program, Keeping in Balance (KIB), from September 2021 through March 2022. In the KIB bible study participants discussed leaning on Christ for support when trying to gain balance during the many seasons of life. Delving in the Old and New Testaments the woman were able to apply the richness that scripture offered to manage life’s pressures while staying connected to God and their faith. After applying to life the concept of leaning on and into God at all times to keep balance in daily life, after Easter, eighteen (18) woman participated in the eight (8) week program, Ordering Your Priorities which helped participants to put God first, spouse second, family and all else, Applying the lesson of God as priority number 1 to daily life also aided the women in setting aside time for the spiritual nourishment (prayer, reading the Bible, Mass, sacraments, etc. …) needed to face all that life throws at them.

Thank you to Linda Dickinson Pancila for coordinating the woman’s bible study Walking with Purpose program the last three years especially through Covid closures and restrictions. The leadership baton is now passed to Anne Baker who graciously accepted to keep WWP going through year 10.

Sacramental Statistics

BAPTISMS

Giacomo Ignazio Amato

Layne Joshua Bernard

Adelyn Mae Black

Ryan James Brodsky

Brooks Joseph Catlaw

Emily Margaret DeNotta

Vivienne Rae DeNotta

Kiley Reese DeVito

Giulia Rose Duffy

Edward Carroll Eastman IV

Annie Olivia Eastman

Luci Rae Esposito

Charles Richard Favorito

Calendar Year 2021

Sofia Giuliana Foti

Luciana Christine Galligan

Jace Anthony Johnston

Natalia Ann Kayser

Sofia Mancino

Allison Taylor McGrath

Brielle Ashley McGrath

Anthony Deane Moretta

Maise Amelia Payne

Giovanni Salvatore Pezzello

Mia Josephine Pezzello

Xavier Luis Reyes

Lucia Domenica Settineri

Dean Nicholas Spagnola

William Matthew Stanton

Garrett Parker Strafaci

Christopher Daniel Stropoli

Shane Michael Strouse

Luke William Swiss

Marcella Isabelle Termini

Emilio Andres Vela

Luca Linden Villamagna

Betsy Ann Woodward

Nico Thomas Young

Aubrianna Aiello

Joseph Amato

Katherine Anderson

Gaetano Apolito

Sienna Atik

Sophia Isabella Bacile

Filip Adam Baszak

Kate Elizabeth Bauer

Ryan Robert Bautista

Avery Sophia Beiro

Luke James Bishop

Lilyana Jean Bonura

McKenna Teaghan Brunelli

Olivia Grace Burns

Benjamin Cantilo

Edward Joseph Cieslak

Matthew Anthony Ciniglia

Chloe Rose Cullen

Gia Alma DeLise

Jules Salvatore Denora

Giuliana DeSerio

Farrah Michele Duprex

Luci Rae Esposito

Gabriele Fabbricatore

Mason Christian Failla

Charles Fixter

Catelyn Claire Friend

Andrea Martino Galante

Maria Grace Galante

Sienna Nicole Gugliara

Joseph John Haney

Ryan Mei Harris

Cora M Hassan

Isla Rose Helms

Rian Adam Koster

Francesca Jane LaRocca

Aiden James Lennan

Adriana Malabanan Lucchese

Shane Michael Mahoney

Avery Alexa Mandeville

Frank Michael Manfredonia

Jack Peter Marx

Lucas Mendonca

MacKenzie Alexandra Moran

Gianna Grace Nicholson

Dino Diamante Nicoletta

Lily Adele Patlen

Brayden Michael Reisz

Elizabeth Margaret Rumsby Sean Gerard Sajkowski

COMMUNIONS

Mikayla Alexa Sarapochillo

Emily Paige Schrider

Lila Fern Sette

Giovanna Rose Settineri

Avery Emerson Shearer

Hunter James Sues

Charlotte Lorraine Szoke

Avery Catherine Toohig

Nicolas David Torres

Jonathan Patrick Trombino

Julia Noelle Trumino

Lucia Turnamian

Otto Roy Weber

Derek Daniel Williams

Lachlan Taylor Woodward

Sacramental Statistics

Calendar Year 2021

CONFIRMATION

Vincent Joseph Agliata

Michael Peregrine Allegro

Isabella Nina Anzevino

Laila Judith Apolito

Justin Michael Bacile

Maria Elizabeth Bellomo

James Jude Bonanno

Julianna Elizabeth Brown

Kaylie Catherine Brush

Ryan Francis Brush

Ava Faith Burns

Francesca Victoria Cammarata

Gerardo Pio Campitiello

Katherine Rosalia Chollick

Ryan Joseph Coffey

Erica Lucy DiNapoli

Joseph Nicholas DiPilato

Sienna Emma Domanski

Janelle Rose Esposito

Sebastian Joseph Failla

Timothy Michael Foley

Braeden Benjamin Galski

Eva Florence Garcia

Samuel Peter Gershon

Michael Anthony Gravina

Emily Cecilia Gravina

Blake James Hawthorne

Nicholas Michael Hayden

Ryan Anthony Hennessey

Madison Jude Hoeker

Stephanie Teresa Jesel

Emma Florence Jordan

Jake Charles Kohm

Claire Cecilia Kolakowski

Jason Francis Lavery Rosalina Rosalia Lucchese

Marisa Ruth Manhire

Kyle Michael Moore

Natalie ChristineO'Connor Alexis Rose O'Connor

Brian Nicholas O'Connor

Colin Joseph O'Connor

Alexandra Faith Parisi

Olivia Elizabeth Pastor

Ava Clare Pellecio Manfredi

Gabriella Cecilia Penczak

Michael Sebastian Praet

Brielle Sophia Sager

Alexis Elizabeth Steiniger

Cooper Patrick Tierney

Brady Joseph Tormey

Stephanos Michael Tsompanidis

Derek Christoper Valesi

Camila Cecilia Vela

John George Ward

Mollie CatherineWidmeier

Sophia Margaret Woodford

Danek Michael Yaninas Alessandra Anne Zilinski

MARRIAGES

Elizabeth Eileen Alexander Stephen Daved Bazaz

Laura Carmen Going George Anthony Guttierrez

Amanda Marie Woodford Nathaniel Peter Kramer

Kendall Ann Freedman Zack Nicholas Hoffman

Jessica Marie Vogt Jonathan Daniel DeLiso

Brianna Moretti Joseph Vincent Dolisi

Victoria Lynn Crociata Andrew Frank Zilenziger

FUNERALS

Giulia Ajami

Isabel Amling

Anthony Andiorio

Fernando Avila

Frank Baker

MaryAnn Barone

Alfred Basile

Melissa Blake

Joseph Bonura

Christian Brannan

Nicholas Cappelleri

Michael Cutrona

Marion DePalma

Anna DeSousa

Mary Dwyer Eileen Ferrante

Anna Lalima Christopher Leone

Amanda Lisi Nicholas Thomas Vitone

Jacqueline Jean Bickley Tristan Winter Mayes

Nicole Rose Haydu Christopher John Spinella

Valerie Ann Romano Nicholas Raymond LaPollo

Amanda Gail Spinella Ryan Christopher Handy

Gabrielle Victoria Gerbino Ryan Joseph Steinberger

Teresa Anne Censoplano Gregory Michael Zappacosta

Mary McNamara

Robert Montalbano

Patricia Morin

Lois Palladino

Clare Peckinpaugh

Raymond Perrotta

Christopher Philhower Pasquale Polito Martin R Reddington

Nora J Garvey Reddington

George Ruggieri

Joseph Ruggiero

Michael Salvo

Mary Schlachter

John Stutz Richard Vesper

$200+ 3 $1,205 $100.00 to 199.99 17 $2,192 $50.00 to 99.99 70 $4,465 $30.00 to 49.99 70 $2,717 $20.00 to 29.99 97 $2,286 $10.00 to 19.99 150 $2,135 $0.01 to 9.99 295 $1,051 $0.00 299 $0

Sunday Contributing Households 702 $818,623 Visitor Offerings & Loose Cash $34,293 Total Sunday Offering $852,916 Weekly Average* (51 weeks excludes Easter) $16,724

Annual Offertory Amount # of Households Total $10,000.01 or more 8 $148,821 $2,500.01 to 10,000 113 $469,586 $1,000.01 to 2,500 194 $294,453 $400.01 to 1,000 167 $112,630 $100.01 to 400 190 $43,501 $0.01 to 100 150 $7,601 $0.00 179 $0

Total Contributing Households 822 $1,076,591 Visitor Offerings and Loose Cash $36,352 Total Annual Offering $1,112,943

1,034,117 2019 785,477 84,873 110,653 56,046 1,037,049 2020 792,211 73,815 111,336 47,977 1,025,339 2021 852,916 90,024 130,873 39,131 1,112,943

Prayer

Lord Jesus, We worship You in the Blessed Sacrament. Bless our work of reviving a true and lasting devotion to You in the Sacrament of Your Body and Blood. Help us bring others to perceive with the eyes of faith, Your Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. Enlighten the minds of Your people and set our hearts on fire with love for You, Fill us with the desire to receive You often in Holy Communion. Amen.