Parish Staff

The Church exists to evangelize. As Catholics we are all called to be missionary disciples - to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to all we encounter. Parish staff members have the unique privilege of being the first evangelizers for many people who live within their parish boundaries. Catholics who have left the Church or who rarely attend Mass may still feel some sort of connection to their parish church at their core.
When they knock on the door of the parish office (or reach out to us in some other way), the parish staff member who answers may well represent the first experience of church for them in a long time, and be the face of Christ.



When young adult Catholics decide to marry, our greatest hope is that they will knock on our door and we will respond with great joy. Whether they've been away for years or they attend Mass weekly, all young adult Catholics who inquire about Catholic marriage are cause for celebration in the Church. 

As stated in the Pastoral Policies and Guidelines for Marriage Preparation for the Catholic Church in New Jersey, "[When] couples approach the Church desiring to make a commitment before God and to have their union blessed, it is of paramount importance that from the outset they have a warm and welcoming experience regardless of the couple's active or inactive affiliation with the Church. The pastoral minister should assure the couple of the church's desire to help them prepare for a lasting, life-giving, happy marriage." 

The Policies and Guidelines also state that "The opportunity for individual, personal marriage preparation is a responsibility not only of priests and deacons but also of a parish community: 'Pastors...are obliged to take care that their entire ecclesial community offers the Christian faithful...personal preparation to enter marriage, which disposes the spouses to the holiness and duties of their new state...'" 



The parish also has the privilege of "introducing newly married couples in a personal way to the parish community in which they will be residing after their wedding...Married parishioners can help young couples fit into their new role. By reaching out to them, engaging them in discussion, encouraging active participation and showing them hospitality, married parishioners can help those newly married to feel at home in their 'new status' and in the parish instead of being anonymous parishioners until they present their first baby for Baptism."

When Married Couples Need Help

In the ideal Catholic world, the parish would be the first place individuals or married couples would turn when they experience a difficulty in their marriage or their family life. As Pope Francis tells us, we need to be a "field hospital," reaching out to people in need and bringing the Gospel to them in every situation.

Parish staff members can connect couples experiencing marital difficulty with the resources they need. The help may be in the form of a married mentor couple from the parish who has already experienced the same difficulty and can offer practical solutions. Many couples seeking help find that a Marriage Encounter or Retrouvaille weekend brings new life to their marriage. The Parish Counseling Program can be an invaluable resource for couples struggling in their marriage or family life. At times it's the sympathetic parish staff member with the compassionate response that is most helpful, by prompting couples to access the sacramental grace always available to them. The point is that the parish has a myriad of resources at its disposal to help parishioners in need, and parish staff members are uniquely positioned to provide merciful, Christ-inspired solutions.