A healthy and whole faith community is one where all members of Christ’s Body are in right relationship with each other. As disciples of Jesus, we commit ourselves to companioning and learning from those who are challenged by developmental, cognitive and/or physical disabilities.

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Holy Innocents Society

          The Holy Innocents Society is a diocesan not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving individuals and families who live with special needs of any kind.  HIS seeks to help anyone with special needs - children, adults and families - to take full advantage of being a part of a parish community in the Diocese of Trenton.  

          A key part of full participation in a parish is, of course, the Sacrements.  Holy Innocents Chapters throughout the Trenton Diocese provide children and adults with special needs, intellectual, cognitive and/or developmental disabilities, who are not able to function in a regular Religious Education Program, with religious education geared to their individual learning ability. Dedicated catechists prepare their students for the reception of the Sacraments, and through programs of continuing religious education, prepare them to take an active role in the Church community. In the love of Jesus Christ for His children and in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the catechists endeavor to foster within each student a positive self-concept, a sense of morality and participation in the Christian community.

          In addition to the Scarements, HIS Chapters provide social activities, encourage participation in the parish activities, and are working to be a resource to families in need of learning more about the special needs of their children and adult family members now and as they plan for the future.  

Contact Us:

609-403-7139  

holyinnocentssociety@dioceseoftrenton.org

Check out our brochure

H.I.S has five (5) Chapters in our Diocese with Chapter Seats located in:

Burlington Chapter                                                                      Mercer Chapter

National Catholic Partnership on Disability

          The Diocese of Trenton is an Affliate member of the NCPD.  For more information about resources, talk with your parish religious education leader about your child’s special educational needs. Ask for appropriate options for religious education and sacramental preparation. 

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.”
(1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

Guidelines for the Celebration of the Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities

Ideas and Recommendations for Families with Children who have Diverse Learning Needs.

Seeing the hand of God at work through the Holy Innocents Society

Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor

Working with the Holy Innocents Society was something neither Angelo Romanello nor Pat Hertz had ever intentionally set out to do.

But it was through different life experiences from years ago that led both of them to begin their ministries to children with special needs.

Between them, Hertz and Romanello have more than 60 years of loving service to the Holy Innocents Society. Romanello has been president of the diocesan Holy Innocents Society and director of the Holy Cross Learning Center for 36 years, and Hertz has been involved with the learning center in St. Justin Parish, Toms River, for 26 years.

While both acknowledged that theirs is a fulfilling ministry in which they receive much more than what they give, Hertz said, that what truly heartens her the most is the children’s “unconditional love.”

The way Romanello sees it, the work of the Holy Innocents Society is not about what the catechists and aides do, but it’s about what God does.

“I find myself standing in awe of God’s work,” he said. “God manifests himself through these children and that is the greatest proof of his love for us that I could ever imagine.”

Read the Trenton Monitor's full article here.

Angelo Romanello, founder of the Diocese of Trenton Holy Innocents Society, passed away on Dec. 5th, 2021.  His Rite of Christian Burial took place on Dec. 9th, 2021.  Read more about this faithful man here.

Holy Innocents Society, Diocese of Trenton
609-403-7139
holyinnocentssociety@dioceseoftrenton.org

Brenda L. Rascher, MSW, JD
Bishop's Delegate, Holy Innocents Society Board of Trustees
Executive Director, Office of Catholic Social Services
609-403-7180
brasch@dioceseoftrenton.org