Holy Spirit Parish in Asbury Park held a groundbreaking ceremony for the St. Peter Claver Outreach Center yesterday. The site at the corner of Springwood and Ridge Avenues, which once held the St. Peter Claver Church, has been vacant for some time. The land has been repurposed in order to continue the legacy of service among the Black community exemplified by St. Peter Claver Church and its namesake. While the building will house an array of activities, the Society of St. Vincent DePaul will use the Center on a daily basis to coordinate assistance for those in need. The former... Continue reading

It's Christmastime! The time when parishes all across the Diocese of Trenton will welcome a much larger number of people than on a normal given Sunday. Parishes, including my own, have been preparing to host these additional visitors for some time - from those traveling from far away to those visitors (Catholics and others) who may not be with us on a regular basis. How has your parish made preparations outside of adding additional Masses (in and of itself no small feat)? The guide below is an awesome resource for those parishes looking to really make a difference this Christmas,... Continue reading

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the importance of social media as a communications tool was highlighted as Facebook was used as a major tool for local information gathering, community organizing and fundraising. St. Francis Parish on Long Beach Island was one example. Since Long Beach Island was evacuated and residents were not allowed to return for some time after the storm, the pastor gathered the community together using FB to communicate with parishioners as they began to assess the damage and begin recovery efforts in the area. Members of St. Rose, Belmar, another example among many, organized a hugely... Continue reading

A recent survey asked parish leaders where they would rate their parish in a number of areas. How does your parish stack up? Where are your opportunities for growth? Continue reading

I came across this great 3 minute video from Igniter Media called Strangers (check it out here at www.ignitermedia.com/mini-movies/2201/Strangers)-- and it illustrates the impact that individuals have over people they will never meet. This happens every day -- and for good or bad we have an influence that echoes in the lives of others. What can we do as parish communities to echo the Gospel in our wider communities? Is it getting involved in community actives that benefit those outside our churches? Crafting a mission statement so the direction of the parish is clear? Stepping out in faith and doing... Continue reading

I came across this from Seth Godin's blog today -- it gets at the heart of what anyone in church ministry should keep in mind. It might be that your audience isn't smart enough, caring enough, attentive enough, with-it enough or generous enough to understand and appreciate you. Or it might be that you're not good enough (yet). If you're in the habit of assuming one of these, try out the other one for a while. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2012/07/it-could-be-one-of-two-things.html To me it put's the focus back to where it belongs. There's far too much finger pointing these days. Set's words put's the... Continue reading

 I came across this excellent post from marketer/author Andy Sernovitz. It's about companies (see churches) using their extra space for marketing purposes by allowing groups to using the space. It's a great way for companies to be helpful and reach out to groups in their communities --and sell some extra stuff in the process. It got me thinking, what if we applied this to our parish facilities? What if our stance to the community at large was one of openness and hospitality? Wouldn't that be a great way to show love for our neighbor and build relationships at the... Continue reading

A recent Pew research study indicates that as of April 2012, 53% of American adults age 65 and older use the internet or email. This is the first time that over half of seniors are online. Although still the lowest group percentage-wise, this represents another reminder of how parishes need to increase efforts to evangelize online - especially give how the 65+ population has been growing rapidly in our diocese. It also represents a real opportunity for parish communities to strategize how they can reach out to seniors not only sacramentally but also to connect seniors to the life of... Continue reading

I revisited an interesting website, Asian-Nation.org, which offers some important insights into demographic and religious trends for the Asian-American community here in the U.S. It highlights some great surveys from American Religious Identifcation Survey and Pew Research. Since 14.9 million (5 percent of the total U.S. pop.) people are Asian (or Asian in combination with one or more other races) and 1 million are Pacific Islanders, they have a significant presence within the Diocese of Trenton (over 100,000+)-- and thus, there is a great opportunities for evangelization, collaboration and cooperation to and with these communities. I've also included the Profile... Continue reading

America Magazine recently highlighted a study commissioned by Bishop David O'Connell asking Catholics why they stopped going to church (see the article here -Why They Left). The responses included not feeling welcomed, starved spiritually, to feeling undervalued by the church. Others point to issues of doctrine and church practice. All of the respondents remind us of the stark reality of declining church attendance, with fewer than 20% of registered Catholics attending Mass. But there is hope and promise here, as their tone was generally positive. We have before our parish communities a great opportunity, if we are up to the... Continue reading