Blog (Page 3)
Coronavirus: An Update from St. Damien Parish
This week, our pastor, Fr. Tom Newton, tested positive for COVID-19. He is doing well and recovering in the rectory where he will follow CDC guidelines to quarantine. He asks everyone to say an extra prayer for a speedy recovery. In response, we will be closing our Parish Office to the public throughout the remainder of this week. We plan to thoroughly sanitize the building and have our employees take COVID-19 tests. We will reopen to the public on Wednesday,…
From the Pastor’s Desk: A Note About Church Names
Soon after I arrived at St. Damien Parish, I thought that it was important to continue to work to unify the St. Damien community. One way that I thought we could do this was to stop referring to the three parish worship sites by their old parish names since those parishes do not exist any longer. However, I came to realize and actually came to understand the importance of those church names to many members of our parish community. It…
Know Your Fellow Parishioner: Marge Hagan
Having a mystical encounter with the Blessed Mother was not what Marge Hagan expected when she traveled to Ireland in 1993 to attend a wedding in Sligo. Afterwards, she agreed to accompany some Irish friends to the Knock Shrine in Mayo County. “I always loved Jesus,” explained the lifelong devout Catholic. “But I was so attached to my own mother that I felt less devotion to the Blessed Mother.” That relationship changed when Marge stepped out of a car at…
Know Your Fellow Parishioner: The Rice Family
As the Saint Damien Parish religious education program begins with all-remote learning this fall, parent volunteers Lorie and Brad Rice are optimistic. “We have a beautiful, new curriculum,” Lorie explained. “Every grade will be learning the same thing at the same time, just at different age levels, so it should really bring families together.” As the parents of eleven-year-old Anna and nine-year-old Rocco, the Rices gained insight into remote learning when the Ocean City public schools went to all on-line…
Know Your Fellow Parishioner: Ursula Russo
Say hello to Ursula Russo, the newest adult Catholic in Saint Damien Parish. Ursula’s confirmation was delayed when the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the church during Lent. But in June, when masses resumed, she was received into the church. Her sponsor was her daughter, Christine Leonetti. In the Fall of 2019, Ursula entered into the process known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), a period of study and reflection that she called “stimulating” and “enlightening.” She was led through…
Know Your Fellow Parishioner: Ginny & Joe Sosnowsky
Every morning Ginny and Joe Sosnowsky dip into their collection of holy water, gleaned from their travels to shrines and basilicas, and bless each other. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look on you kindly and give you His peace. “It is our way of remembering that God is the most important person in our lives,” Ginny explained. The blessings that the Sosnowskys…