2025-2026 Ministry Roundup!
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Please enjoy a summary of the fellowship and good works of some of our wonderful ministries this past year at STA. Enjoy your summer!
September Club
The September Club, the 96 Members Seniors Organization of the Saint Thomas The Apostle Church, just closed its Program Year with a party at the San Carlo Banquet Hall in Lyndhurst. A good time was had by all with Dinner, Dancing, and a stupendous Prize Raffle with 2 Grand Prize Packages worth more than $1,000 each. (99% of the prizes are donated by local Merchants and Organizations.)
The Club's Program Year begins on the Monday after Labor Day Monday and ends with the June Party around June 15th. We sponsor 2 Parties every year, one in December and one in June. We meet weekly on Mondays. There are activities and games at every Meeting and lunch is provided on special Occasions like Saint Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, etc. The Club also sponsors day trips to places our Trip Manager thinks our Seniors will enjoy and can negotiate the physical demands to do. The only qualification to become a Member of the September Club is you have to be 55 years of age or older. We are non-sectarian and irrespective of Parish Borders, per our By-Laws.
Our prime directive is to enrich the lives of our Members. Right now, we are at capacity for our Meeting Room, so we're not accepting new Members. We currently have 26 people on our Wait List. Prospective members will hear from us in October if space becomes available.
St. Thomas Church Picnic Mission
St. Thomas Church Picnic's mission is to create a welcoming environment for all parishioners, young and old. Generous donations from parishioners and businesses make it possible for all families of the parish to be able to come. We ask everyone, who is able, to consider volunteering their time, donations and or talents to this event.
We offer hamburgers, hot dogs, dessert and water. We have bouncy houses, axe throwing, arts and crafts, a face painter and other kids activities. 50/50 Raffle is held for those over 21 years of age. A volleyball net is available with Girl Scouts and Honor Society Students helping to coordinate practices and games. We also have a DJ.
We have been so fortunate to meet many wonderful people working this picnic, and hope this event will inspire others to come and share in God's work and keep this tradition for the children of the Parish.
Children’s Liturgy of the Word
Our Children's Liturgy of The Word had wonderful Sunday Liturgies where the children hear the Liturgy in a way they can understand. They learn about all the Liturgical Seasons from our Children's Liturgy of The Word Team Kathy Monacelli, Anthony Armando, and other team members at the 10:00am Mass each Sunday from September through June.
Music Ministry
The Music Ministry is growing and thriving at STA Church! In addition to singing at the 10:00am mass, our Adult and Children’s Choirs perform during holidays as well as one or two annual concerts. We continue to collaborate with the Bloomfield Civic Band to perform what has become a local favorite Christmas Concert. We have multiple talented parishioners who are instrumentalists that join us for concerts and masses as well.
This spring, we performed a special concert to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the United States. It was an inspiring array of the music sung by American Christians from the dawn of the country to the present day.
We have an Adult Choir for adults 18+, and Youth Choir for children in K-6th grade. Our Pre-K Cherub Choir had their inaugural year as our youngest choir ever here at STA Church, and is continuing to grow.
We look forward to resuming in the fall! All are welcome to join the Music Ministry.
Soup Kitchen Ministry
The STA Soup Kitchen ministry will continue its commitment to Saint Augustine House of Prayer throughout the summer. We will maintain our monthly Sunday visits, delivering nourishing and attractive meals to those in need.
At this year’s Summer Camp, we had 38 children ages 4 to 14 who made 3 different crafts with the help of our 6 wonderful volunteers not including myself. The children did crafts, got a visit from our Ice Cream truck. We had dinner of pizza, fries, and watermelon.
As the demand for water increases significantly during the hot months, we will be seeking additional donations of cases of water.
OCIA
OCIA had a wonderful year that culminated with 14 adults being confirmed into the Catholic Church on Pentecost 2026. 7 received their first holy communion and 4 were converts from other Christian churches.
3 participants from this last year are catechumens who will complete 2 years preparing in OCIA for their intended baptism, confirmation, and first communion on the next Easter Vigil '27.
We anticipate another large group seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church in the coming 2026-27 year that starts the first Sunday in October. We currently have 16 adults inquiring about confirmation into the Church. We expect more adults inquiring about the Catholic Church before October and so we expect to be blessed with another large and dedicated group.
All adults seeking information and introduction to OCIA are considered Inquirers until the Rite of Welcoming on November 8 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. At that time, the inquirers and returning catechumens form the Catechumenate which is the formal instruction period. The Inquirers are then considered Candidates for confirmation the following Pentecost Sunday.
Young Adult Ministry
This past ministry year we did a lot of fellowship and faith formation with our fellow young adult Catholics, some current and new members. Many from other young adult ministries and parts of the Archdiocese of Newark. Some of the events we did included mini-golf, apple-picking, kickball with Our Lady of the Valley Young Adults, escape rooms, and a spiritual hike. We also had many faith-based events and meetings like bible studies, book readings, and mass meet-ups, where we would go together to Mass at one of our local churches, including St. Thomas the Apostle. At one of these mass meet-ups, our group went to a Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy at St. Michael's Cathedral Chapel in Woodland Park.
A big event we did was participate in the Ecounter event that was hosted by the Archdiocese's Outreach Office for Youth and Young Adults. There was Adoration and fellowship. We also got the chance to meet our newest auxiliary bishop, His Excellency, Bishop Bismark Chau. During Holy Week, we as a group did the 7 Church Visitation tradition, where on Holy Thursday we visited 5 of the 7 churches in our local area to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. On Good Friday, we attended a service with our spiritual director, Deacon Carl Lordi at St. Mary's Church in Nutley, where they processed and venerated the True Cross, a holy relic that is a piece of the real cross that our Lord Jesus Christ died on. One of the latest events we did was go to the Thanksgiving Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral Basilica in Newark, presided by His Eminence, Cardinal Tobin.
We plan to still have meetings and events over the summer, depending on how it looks like with our members! But the best way to learn more and keep up to date is by follow our Instagram and signing up for our email newsletter.
St. Thomas the Apostle Rosary Society
As members of the Rosary Society, we honor the Blessed Mother by coming together in a loving, spiritual and social environment. We meet on the first Monday of each month from September through June at 7:00 pm in the parish center.
Our main mission is to spread devotion to Mary through daily recitation of the rosary and through works of charity. We also celebrate Our Lady at the May Crowning and we host the annual Communion Breakfast in October.
Some of our charitable initiatives include:
The Giving Tree at Christmas time
Shop Rite and Stop and Shop gift cards at for those in need at Thanksgiving
A scholarship awarded annually to a student in our school
Special spring project; working with various organizations to provide whatever they may need to assist those who seek their support. Recent examples are a baby shower for Mercy House in Newark and donations of essential items for Mother’s and Father’s Day (toiletries, basic clothing necessities).
As a mother opens her arms to embrace her child, let us be embraced by the holiest of all mothers. Come and see what we have to offer. All are welcome.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The Prayer Shawl Ministry is active 12 months of the year knitting and crocheting!
We just do not have a meeting in July or August. Our ministry provides many items for our parish members including shawls & lap robes for those in need of prayers and comfort. Prayer squares are made for our Communion and Confirmation candidates . We also provide prayer squares to other ministries here at St. Thomas.
Hats and scarves are made for the giving tree to be given to those in need. Each baby baptized here at St. Thomas receives a baby blanket. We have already made and given 39 blankets this year since January.
If you knit or crochet please consider joining our ministry. You do not have to attend meetings to be a member.
Hospitality Ministry
This past year the Hospitality has hosted several outdoor events, for members of the congregation. This will resume in September, weather permitting. Every year we host the Hope & Remembrance Mass for those who have lost a child
We have provided hospitality for Deanery meetings , plus A Morning of Reflection, as well as 2 events for all the Priests of the Essex County Planning Area with Bishop Saporito in attendance to discuss the We are His Witnesses campaign. We added 2 new members to the committee this year and our group is committed to making all feel comfortable and welcome in our Parish. We hope to continue bringing a bit of warmth and welcoming to all who visit St. Thomas in the years to come.
Spiritual Direction
A Spiritual Director creates a safe, confidential space, helping you to listen for the voice of God in Scripture, in your prayer, your dreams and in the ordinary events of your life.
Spiritual Direction affirms God’s unconditional love and acceptance of all people.
To make a private appointment, or for further information, please contact Anna Graziano, cSD. at (201) 213-5095 or annagraziano08@gmail.com.
Youth Ministry
From our kickoff night in September to our end-of-year celebration in June, STAYG had a year full of faith, friendship, and fun. Our theme, IGNITE, inspired by the story of the Road to Emmaus, challenged us to grow closer to Christ and allow Him to set our hearts on fire as we discovered what it means to truly live our faith.
Every Sunday brought something new. Throughout the year, we spent time in Eucharistic Adoration, brought Scripture to life through interactive Bible skits and reflections on the Road to Emmaus, explored different forms of prayer, and discussed topics such as the Eucharist, the Mass, the saints, identity, discipleship, and living our Catholic faith in everyday life. Beyond our weekly gatherings, we enjoyed excursions like ice skating, an escape room, and mini golf, while also celebrating annual traditions including our Halloween, Friendsgiving, and Christmas parties and our Living Stations of the Cross presentation for the parish. Through every activity, conversation, and shared meal, there were countless opportunities to grow in friendship, strengthen our faith, and simply have fun together.
This year, we also put our faith into action through a school supply drive benefiting a Catholic parish and school in Belize. Thanks to the generosity of our parish community, we collected supplies that will help students begin the school year with the tools they need while strengthening our connection to the universal Church.
Looking back on the past ten months, we're grateful for every conversation, every laugh, every new face that joined us, and every opportunity to grow together in faith. Thank you to our parish family for supporting STAYG throughout the year and helping us create a welcoming place where our teens can encounter Christ, ask questions, build lasting friendships, and continue growing as disciples. We wrapped up the year in June celebrating all that God has done, and we're already looking forward to another year together this fall!
Religious Education
Now that Summer CCD is underway, we would like to thank all of our Fall teachers and volunteers for all of their hard work throughout the year. Thank you so much to Sarah Hamilton, Kim Freda, Ann Marie Frissel, Elaina Martorelli, Ann Stefano, Eileen O’Grady, Cathy Kubarewicz, Jaimie Catalano, Kay Harle, Gail DeFalcon, Carol Cardone, Diane O’Connell, Kathy McKittrick, and Mary Pat Bogart. We had nearly 100 children receive their First Penance and First Communion this year. Classes met every Monday for 90 minutes from late September to late April. It’s not easy coming each week for months and we truly appreciate your time, talent, and treasure! We are so incredibly blessed to have such women of faith in our parish who are willing to share their faith with others. Thank you and we’ll see you in September! God bless!