Dear Fellow Parishioners, One of the events I most look forward to is the Blessing of Animals, which takes place on, or near, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th. This year, it will take place in the parish plaza and park after the First Friday Mass on October 3rd, at about […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, This past Wednesday, September 17th, my father died as a result of injuries from a fall in his home. He would have been 93 years old next month. This is sad, but not at all tragic in any sense of the word. When he was born in 1932, the life expectancy for […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, This Sunday, September 7, the U.S. celebrates the secular holiday of Grandparentsâ Day. Though it was relatively recently established in the U.S., it was long overdue. So many of our grandparents have played, and continue to play, an important role in our lives and fond memories. Grandparentsâ Day was first celebrated in […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, I was preparing my Pastorâs Desk to talk about the religious significance of Labor Day, and maybe a couple of other things. Meanwhile, the tragedy at Annunciation Catholic School and Parish in Minneapolis intervened, to the dismay and horror of an entire nation. The state of Minnesota, and even the White House, […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, If you have been part of our parish community for any length of time at all, you know that I am very reluctant to ask for financial support. Sometimes, more than a year can go by without my making a single request for funds other than the weekly collection, and the national […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, Though we are only at the mid-point of August, our new academic and religious education school years are beginning. On Tuesday the 12th, we had our Back-to-School Mass with our elementary school students, plus many of their parents and grandparents. Every year, I am amazed at how young the youngest of them […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, As we approach the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, itâs worth noting that the time markers of this time of the year have changed. Now that school starts in the middle of August, the Marian feast and the return to school are nearly simultaneous. This yearâs Back to […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, Notes on late Spring As I mentioned in last weekâs Pastorâs Desk, the Hispanic Community planned a celebration for Fr. Mauricioâs 1st Anniversary of Ordination for last Sunday, which was June 1st. What I didnât know is that when they realized that Msgr. Dan and I have our anniversaries just a few […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, These are very busy weeks, with graduations, ordination anniversaries and, sadly, farewells. First of all, I ask your prayers for our talented and dedicated office manager, Noelia Gonzalez. Her husband Bonifacio, for whom we have been praying for weeks, finally passed from a cancer he valiantly fought to the end. Before you […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, I donât often comment on civil matters, if only because they tend to be converted into political issues, into which I will not knowingly dip even one pinky toe. However, there is a current legal story closely connected to Church autonomy and the free exercise of religion. The village of Toms River, […]
Our parish mission statement identifies St. Vincentâs as a Eucharist centered people who, as the Body of Christ, live our faith in word and deed by sharing our time, talent, and treasure to support one another and serve those in need.
This website is intended not only to provide you with the information you need about our parish but also to help us build up our life as a community and so help us in our mission. It provides a way for us to connect with each other; and we invite you to use it to share stories, to learn about whatâs happening and whatâs coming up, and to provide information you think we all need to hear. This site will evolve as our parish evolves; it belongs to all of us. I hope you find it helpful.
This hymn speaks to the atmosphere, design, and heart of St. Vincentâs parish: there is a place here for everyone. In fact, you are not only welcomed, but needed! As we explore and expand our ideas of just what a Church community is, we recognize first that pivotal life events occur in church: weddings, baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation; but, we also find that we need community in order to be a Spirit filled Church where we praise God, share our faith, and help one another by way of fellowship, and the numerous ministries available to all parishioners. Through our stewardship, the gift of our time and talent, there is a wonderful opportunity to give and receive, to make friends, to help friends, to see how our talents are a gift from God made for sharing. We are bonded to a group of people with whom we already have at least one thing in common, and that is our faith. It is our hope that you will use this community website to build bridges and connect with one another, and see that each of us, too, is a gift from God meant to be shared.