Staff

Fr. Thomas A. Newton

Pastor
(609) 399-0648 x105
tnewton@stdamienparish.com

Fr. Tom Newton, the Pastor of St. Damien Parish, comes to this position after being the pastor of the Catholic Community of Christ Our Light in Cherry Hill for eleven years. Prior to that, he was the pastor of St. Peter Celestine Parish in Cherry Hill for almost six years and the pastor of Queen of Heaven parish in Cherry Hill for three months. Fr. Tom has a Master of Divinity degree from Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, NY, and a Master of Public Administration degree from Rutgers University. Fr. Tom was previously the Vicar for Human Services of the Diocese of Camden.  

In addition to his primary assignment as pastor of St. Damien, he currently serves as Advocate for Priest’s Health and Wellness, a member of the College of Consultors, a member of the Presbyteral Council, a member of the Priest Personnel Board, the president of the Catholic Charities Board of Trustees, a member of the Housing Services of the Diocese of Camden Board of Trustees, a member of the Archbishop Damiano School Board of Trustees, a member of the Diocesan Health Services Board of Trustees, a member of the Diocesan Finance Council’s committee for Compensation and Benefits, and the facilitator and convener of the New Priests’ Peer Group.

Fr. Vigilius Amanze, M.SS.CC

Part-Time Parochial Vicar
(609) 399-0648 x114
vamanze@stdamienparish.com

Patrick Gardner

Pastoral Associate for Worship & Music
(609) 399-0648 x114
pgardner@stdamienparish.com

Patrick Gardner is the Pastoral Associate for Worship and Music at St. Damien Parish where he oversees and coordinates all aspects of the parish’s liturgical and music ministries and ministers. Patrick brings extensive experience as an accompanist, vocalist, trumpeter, and music director in liturgical, theatrical, and educational environments. While completing a Bachelors of Arts in Music from The Catholic University of America (Washington, DC), he performed at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Basilica of the Assumption (Baltimore, MD), The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Signature Theater, the Apostolic Nunciature, and the Bulgarian Embassy. He has provided professional music services to various churches in the Camden Diocese, including Christ our Light (Cherry Hill) and the Parish of Christ the King (Haddonfield), where he also taught 1st and 8th grade in the parish’s faith formation program. Prior to his appointment at St. Damien, Patrick taught full-time in the Performing Arts Department of Camden Catholic High School (Cherry Hill) and served as the Assistant for Worship and Music at Christ our Light.  Born and raised in Haddon Heights, Patrick has spent every summer at the family beach house in Ocean City and is ecstatic to join the staff of St. Damien.

Joanne Kelly

Pastoral Associate for Faith & Justice Formation
(609) 399-0648 x100
jkelly@stdamienparish.com

Maria Isabel Giron

Pastoral Associate for Spanish Ministry
(609) 399-0648 x130
mgiron@stdamienparish.com

Sister Joelle Thren, SCC

Director, Elementary Faith Formation
(609) 399-0648 x106
jthren@stdamienparish.com

Sister Joelle Thren has served the good people of St. Damien Parish since 1998. Before her position here, she was the director of Religious Education at three other parishes: Holy Family, St. Joseph, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, all in northern New Jersey. She has previously taught grades 5-8 at other parishes in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania and has worked as a professor of catechists and theology.

Sister Jeanne Belli, SSJ

Assistant for Justice & Community Outreach
(609) 399-0648 x124
jbelli@stdamienparish.com

Diego Ramirez

Assistant for Worship & Music
(609) 399-0648 x112
dramirez@stdamienparish.com

Tom McIntyre

Director of Maintenance
(609) 399-0648 x109
tmcintyre@stdamienparish.com

Susan Campbell

Office Manager
(609) 399-0648 x102
scampbell@stdamienparish.com

Susan Campbell has worked at St. Damien Parish for over 20 years. She serves as the office manager for the parish.

Max Buondonno

Bulletin Editor & Webmaster
(609) 399-0648 x101
mbuondonno@stdamienparish.com

Max Buondonno is the bulletin editor and webmaster at St. Damien Parish. He joined the Communications Ministry in May 2019 in order to give the parish new Facebook and Instagram profiles along with a revamped website. Then, a month later, he joined the staff in order to take on the weekly bulletin. His interest in technology has been with him his entire life. His blog, Matridox, serves as a showcase of the latest gadgets and gizmos. He was homeschooled for a majority of his life and is thankful for the work ethic and family values he learned being in that environment.

Max is a devoted Catholic and thinks of his work at the parish as a way of giving back for all the good things God has done in his life.

Kathy Zippilli

Bookkeeper
(609) 399-0648 x110
kzippilli@stdamienparish.com

Karen Malkiewicz

Administrative Assistant
(609) 399-0648 x103
kmalkiewicz@stdamienparish.com

Karen Malkiewicz has worked at St. Damien Parish since 2011. She works as an administrative assistant.

Tina Boylan

Wedding & Baptism Coordinator
tboylan@stdamienparish.com