The Mission Statement, History, and Pastoral Council of St. Gregory the
Great
The Mission Statement, History, and Pastoral Council of St. Gregory the
Great
St. Gregory the Great Mission Statement
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"The Church of Saint Gregory the Great lives as a community of faith called by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to form disciples of Jesus Christ" For the past two years, the Pastoral Council has focused the Ministry Board Meetings held in May and October on the Parish Mission and a specific Vision Statement. Last week Vision Statement 4 was the focal point of the meeting: The Church of Saint Gregory the Great is an integral part of life in Hamilton Square, Robbinsville, and our neighboring communities as well as the Diocese of Trenton. As children of God, we are sensitive to the realities of our world such as hunger, war, homelessness, poverty, joblessness, and injustice. We address these issues through prayer, education, and visible actions of justice, peace, mercy, and love. You may view the Mission and all Five Vision Statements in the hall that leads from the gathering space of the Church to the kitchen area. Look for ways to incorporate the Mission and the Five Vision Statements in every thing you do here at Saint Gregory the Great, as well as in your daily lives. There will be additional features in future Bulletins on the Mission and Vision of the Parish, and how you may get more involved. If you have any questions about the Pastoral Council, please call Tim McGough at (609)259-1553. |
The Parish of St.
Gregory the Great
A Brief History
The parish of St. Gregory the Great in Hamilton Square, NJ was founded on November 24,1953. On February 27, 1955, the Solemn Blessing and Dedication of the Church of St. Gregory the Great took place. On September 15. 1965 St. Gregory the Great School opened it's doors to 184 students. The school was then staffed by three Bernardine Sisters and two lay faculty members. The Bernardine Sisters continued to staff the school until 1978, at which time they had to withdraw their services. In September of the same year, the Sisters of St. Francis arrived to staff both the school and religious education department.
As the parish continued to grow, so did the number of parish organizations. It became evident that these organizations and the size of the parish had outgrown the Church basement meeting room and that a parish center was needed. On November 4. 1990 the new Parish Community Center was dedicated. The building, consisting of many meeting rooms, large hall and kitchen and gymnasium has benefited the many parish organizations, the school and the community at large. From modest beginnings in 1953 the Parish of St. Gregory the Great has blossomed into a large, busy, dynamic and energetic community. It is only through the hard work. dedication and love of all the people of this parish family that we are certainly "The parish where everyone is someone very special"
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Pastoral Council Update Now that the summer hiatus has passed us by, the children are all back in school, and the trees are beginning to turn into palettes of beautiful color, it is time for the Pastoral Council to get back to work. We are pleased to have three new members join the Pastoral Council: Catherine Bongiovanni As three new members join us, we say goodbye to three terrific council members, Ray Hart, a former Chairperson, Theresa Lesko, a former secretary, and Mike Garofalo. All three have served two consecutive two year terms (the limit), and have provided exemplary service to the Saint Gregory the Great Parish family. We will surely miss them, but know that they are part of our family and their thoughts and ideas will always be with us. In addition to the three new members, the Council is comprised of:
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Fr. Rich LaVerghetta, |
Tim McGough, Chair |
Anita Usmiani , Vice Chair |
| Jerry Calamia Secretary |
Betty Poland, Trustee |
Joe Higham, Trustee |
| Sr. Jean Makovsky, Pastoral Associate |
Lori LaPlante, Pastoral Associate |
Bob Anthes |
| Bob Anthes | Al Costantini | Gaeta Iseicz |
| Karen Joyce | Mary Ann Romano | Mike Zapicchi |
| You may ask yourself, what exactly does the Pastoral Council do? Many think of administrative and/or facility related duties when they think of a Pastoral Council. The Saint Gregory the Great Pastoral Council is not about managing buildings and grounds, keys to the church buildings, and parking lots. It is about stewarding the Mission and Vision through all of the approximately sixty (60) ministries in our Church. |
This page last updated on October 15, 2006
