'Blog' Tagged Posts
From the Pastor’s Desk (January 17, 2021)
Happy New Year. It is my hope and prayer that this year, 2021, will be a time of peace, joy and good health for you and your family. I have just completed my first six months as the pastor of St. Damien and I offer a word of gratitude to all of you for your welcome and goodness to me. I know that I have made some changes that not everyone has been able to embrace and I am sorry…
Catholic Bishops Urge Opposition to NJ’s “Reproductive Freedom Act”
(Don’t be fooled by the title – It’s not freedom) This legislation if enacted would codify: Allowing late-term abortions up to birth Permitting nonphysicians to perform abortions Elimination of any legislative requirements for parental notification Elimination of any conscience protection legislation for health care workers Mandating state taxpayer funding for abortion services Prohibiting any future laws, regulations, etc. conflicting with this legislation New Jersey Bishops in their statement on The Reproductive Freedom Act: “… urge all Catholics … to reject…
Coronavirus: An Update from Fr. Tom Newton
Good morning everyone. Thanks for all of your prayers and support over these past ten difficult and challenging days. I want to give you an update. According to the guidelines that I received from the Cape May County Health Department, my isolation period can end and I can now return to normal activities if: A) no fever (temperature above 100.4 for 24 hours and no use of fever reducing medicineANDB) at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appearedANDC)…
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…