Our Lady of Peace Ministry Listing
Antioch/Martha Ministry (Church Cleaning):
The Antioch/Martha Ministry Church Committee is a ministry which offers its service to Christ Himself through its service to the liturgical worship of the entire community. The Ministry takes the very first step for all of us in bringing a sense of sacredness to our liturgical worship. This ministry creates the environment for the liturgy, a welcome atmosphere and all necessary preparations for the Eucharist.
Catholic Daughters of the America’s Court Mater Creatoris #1808:
Teresa Iannaco 856-728-3497 or TeresaIannacoCSR@outlook.com, or Kathie Restuccio at 856-629-8547
The Catholic Daughters of the Americas was formed in 1903 and is one of the oldest Catholic women’s organizations. The organization has grown to now include Guam, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Virgin Islands. Our National organization provides the structure which we follow within our court to promote our faith by performing many acts of charitable kindness, with much hope, joy and love, to help those in pain, poverty, sorrow and sickness. We also provide scholarships and foster education, equality, justice, advancement of human rights, human dignity, and make many friends along the way, while strengthening our joy in the art of providing for those less fortunate.
Some of our spiritual activities include hosting 5 1st Saturday Devotions to Our Blessed Mother, organizing and participating in Fatima processions, holding a special prayer service for our deceased Catholic Daughter members, holding monthly public Rosary recitations, Patriotic and Memorial Day Rosaries, running pilgrimages to various religious shrines, sewing Baptismal bibs for the babies being welcomed into our church, to name a few.
We are able to reach out to those in our community by hosting a yearly special needs prom, donating much-needed items to the Veterans Haven, helping the Franciscan Sisters in Atlantic City to provide clothing, blankets and assisting with distributing food to the poor, cooking meals for the Code Blue Shelter in Atlantic City, make donations to many religious organizations, Mary’s Meals, Social Concerns, make donations for our yearly pro-life baby shower, host a yearly craft fair, help out with the annual carnival, participated in the Williamstown scarecrow contest on Main Street, and in many other capacities reaching out to our community.
We would encourage women of all ages to join us by sharing your gifts and talents. Please contact Teresa Iannaco at 856-728-3497 or TeresaIannacoCSR@outlook.com, or Kathie Restuccio at 609-629-8547.
Ministry of Consolation:
Parish Office 629-6142 olopp@olopp.org
Offers love and support to those who have lost a loved one through death. Our support group meets the second Tuesday of month in the Marian Hall and fourth Friday of month in Marian Hall (Church Basement).
Social Concerns:
Rose Otto 629-6142 x114 rotto@olopp.org
The purpose of St. Mary’s Social Concerns Ministry is to unite the people of the parish and their charitable works into one common effort. The Social Concerns Ministry invites all to participate. The ministry asks for a commitment of work on behalf of its ministers. The work of the ministry is the collection of food, clothing, blankets, baby items and hospital items which are distributed first to the local ministerium for daily distribution to the needy, then to the institutions that feed, house or clothe the poor and the homeless. The Ministry has food distribution for all parish members and their referrals on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9-12 noon.
Eucharistic Ministers:
Deacon Jim Hallman 856-629-6142 X113 deaconjim@olopp.org
Eucharistic Ministers serve at Mass and/or bring Communion to the sick and homebound. The primary ministry of Eucharistic Minister at St. Mary’s is care and support of the sick and homebound. The Eucharist is given to the Eucharistic Ministers during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Eucharistic Ministers go forth from the Mass directly to the homebound with prayer and blessing of the priest presider. Their primary responsibility is to bring Christ in the Eucharist and Christ in the Community to all who hunger. This wonderful ministry displays for us so clearly the unifying bond that comes from the Eucharist. The focus of our Eucharistic Ministers also is to help the prayer connectedness of all – those who are able to gather in our Church and those who are not.
Lazarus/Funeral Masses:
Marie Regalbuto 856-629-5269
Lazarus Ministry is a Ministry designed to support the families who have lost a loved one during their time of bereavement. This Ministry helps families prepare the Mass of Resurrection with the Readings and Symbols that proclaim our faith in the promises of Jesus. The ministry attempts to minister to the bereaved family during quiet time, weeks after the funeral rite. The Lazarus ministry usually visits the families, is present at the Mass of Resurrection, and is present to the family in their need. The ministry, as other ministries of the parish, emphasizes the prayer connectedness of the worshiping community.
Lectors:
Deacon Jim Hallman 629-6142 x113 deaconjim@olopp.org
Lectors proclaim the Scriptures and share leadership in prayer at all weekday and Sunday Liturgies. Lectors are expected to engage in ongoing training in proclaiming the Good News. The emphasis of the Lector’s training is understanding of the Scriptures, integration of the Word and the Proclamation of its message as an act of faith.
Liturgy Committee:
Jon Agresta 856-589-3228 jonnieagresta@aol.com
The Liturgy Committee meets monthly to focus on ways to enhance our liturgical celebration and to prepare for the liturgical seasons.
Ministers of the Altar/Altar Servers:
Kathy Gregorio kgregorio68@comcast.net or Deacon Jim Hallman deaconjim@olopp.org Loren Laughlin 856 629-6142 x119 llaughlin@olopp.org
This ministry is open to both boys and girls in the fourth grade and up. It offers an opportunity of service which is most important to the young men and women of the faith community.
Ministers of Hospitality/Ushers at Mass:
Joe Sottosanti 856-889-9468 jpsotto@comcast.net
This ministry includes men and women as ushers and greeters who serve at each of the weekend Masses and on all special liturgies. We welcome men and women to serve in this Ministry. This ministry focuses on welcoming the faith assembly. Our ministers of hospitality express the first greeting of warmth and welcoming at the entrance of our church. The men and women in this ministry help to create the openness, warmth and generosity of our worshiping community. It is their focus to express our need for each other in worship and an appreciation for the ways in which we fulfill this need.
Music (Choir/Folk Group/Childrens Choir):
Choir: Jon Agresta 856-589-3228 jonnieagresta@aol.com
Folk: Toni McCann 856-728-1294 1hotgmom@gmail.com
Includes Choir, Folk Group, Children’s Choir and Ensemble Groups. St. Mary’s Music Ministry is one of the most generous ministries of our parish. They give one night a week in rehearsal for our liturgies and they are present at all of the 1175 masses celebrated each year. They prepare for First Communions, Confirmation, special liturgies and Sunday liturgies. They are also present during Advent and Lent and have festivals of Scripture and Song for the entire Williamstown community free of charge. The admission asked is a non-perishable food item that is given to our Social Concerns ministry to be distributed to the poor. The Music Ministry of St. Mary’s has also established a week of unity uniting all of the churches of Williamstown and their pastors and ministers in a celebration of Word and Song. All are welcome to sing in the Choir, Folk Group or Ensembles unconditionally, without audition. All that is required is a deep desire to enhance our liturgy through song.
Nursing:
Donna Callaghan 856-875-7511 drdonnarn@comcast.net
The parish nursing ministry invites registered nurses from Saint Mary’s to share their time, talent, and expertise in order to promote the holistic health of our parish community. This holistic view of health is based on the parish nurse philosophy that spiritual health is central to well-being. The parish nurse promotes health by functioning as a health educator, health counselor, referral agent, facilitator of health, and advocate.
Prayer Shawl Ministry:
Inez Troiano 856-875-9509
This ministry knits and crochets shawls for the sick, elderly and homebound adults as well as the newborns of the parish.
Prayer Network:
Parish office 856-629-6142 olopp@olopp.org
If you would like to be a part of the Prayer Network, contact the Parish Center. The Prayer Network attempts to communicate through the entire parish the special intentions and needs of all who have asked of our prayers. Every parishioner is asked to give some time in prayer each day for the parish family. This daily commitment to prayer becomes the primary commitment of membership. The Prayer Network has as its goal an awareness of the parish’s connectedness in prayer and the belief in the miracles that are possible through the promise of Jesus that ” two or three are gathered in His name…He is there.
Pre-Cana/Marriage Prep:
Monica/John Erhard 856-889-8165 or Lisette Litwinczuk 856-889-7013
Pre-Cana is a ministry that engages couples as they make their immediate preparation for the Sacrament of Marriage. It is held in the Spring and Fall each year. The ministry uses the Priests’ house for this sharing. Trained couples, from the parish, share with large and small groups of engaged couples personal experiences of marriage, questions and answers concerning relationships and provides an opportunity for small break out groups for discussion. The Pre-Cana ends with a para-liturgy in St. Mary’s Church with the blessing of the engagement rings by the Pastor, together with the married couples who have presented the Pre-Cana experience.
Pro-Life/Embrace Grace Ministry:
Francesca Dominguez 267-446-4086 embracegrace@olopp.org or Terri Marshall 856-287-7795 prolifeministry@olopp.org
Our pro-life ministry is starting an Embrace Grace support group. Embrace Grace is a nonprofit organization that has chapters in churches all over the world to support single women with unplanned pregnancies. The goal of Embrace Grace is to empower women to choose life and to provide them with a supportive community. Church is usually the last place women go when they have an unplanned pregnancy. Embrace Grace strives to change that by helping meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs and equipping them with tools to help them navigate their pregnancy and beyond. If you’re interested in getting involved, please check out our website at: embrace-grace-olopp.square.site or call Francesca or Terry.
Social Life:
Parish office 856-629-6142 olopp@olopp.org
Provides occasions for the parish community to come together in fellowship. The Social Life Ministry provides many occasions to come together in fellowship. The Social Life Committee is present at all sacraments and all parish celebrations. The ministry seeks out the special gift in each person. The committee provides occasions for the parish to sit and enjoy each other and to break bread in fellowship. The Social Life Ministry provides for us the vehicle through which the parish can become a “personality” that expresses great joy.
St Joseph Men Prayer Group:
Chris Cugini 856-418-3630 christophercugini314@gmail.com
St. Joseph Men are dedicated to helping Catholic men become the men God created them to be. We meet on the 2nd and 4th Saturday’s after the 8am Mass in St. Joseph’s Room (parish center basement).
Stephen Ministry
Russell & Marlene Harding, Pat Hallman; 856-629-6142 ext. 130; stephenministry@olopp.org
Stephen Ministry offers a proven and effective way to organize, equip, and supervise a team of congregation members—called Stephen Ministers—to provide high-quality, one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation and the community experiencing life difficulties.
Stephen Leaders are church staff, lay leaders, and pastors trained to provide ongoing leadership for their congregation’s Stephen Ministry. Stephen Ministers are congregation members trained to offer one-on-one care to people who are hurting and meet with their care receiver once a week for about an hour. Care receivers are individuals in the congregation or community who are going through a crisis or life difficulty. The caring relationship lasts for as long as the need persists and it is kept highly confidential. This ministry is available freely for anyone in the community.
Catholic War Veterans:
Steve Martin 856-889-4592 or Walter Schaefer 609-206-3333 sjm_13@comcast.net
It is important that your military service by recognized in our community of Our Lady of Peace Parish. You and your family have served God, Church and Country well. Please register, so that as a community, we may be an example of Faith and Service to others. Thank you for your service. To register, contact: Steve Martin 856-889-4592 or Walt Schaefer 609-206-3333.
Betania X Prayer Group:
Carmela Valeno 856-863-1926 cvaleno@comcast.net
1st Thursday of month, Mass at 7pm then follow to Marian Hall. Meets weekly on Thursday from 7-8:30pm in Marian Hall. Begins with rosary, reflection on Psalm 91, prayer to St. Michael. Continues with discussion focusing on the approved messages and apparitions of our Lady in Venezuela.
Adopt a Shrine Ministry:
This ministry is supported by volunteers who maintain and beautify our property.