The Catholic Community of St. Mary of the Lake Parish

Dear Friends,

Joined by the members of Saint Mary of the Lake, I welcome you among us! For over 100 years Catholics have gathered in this town and shared the gift of the Eucharist. They have been good stewards of God’s gifts, sharing them with those around them. A key part of being Catholic is offering a spirit of welcome to those who come and wish to share in living “church.” This spirit of hospitality is integral to the way of Jesus and is a large part of preparing ourselves to celebrate the Eucharist together. As we share in the Eucharist, we bond together and are nourished by the presence of the Lord.

This gathering to worship is at the heart of being Catholic and the commitment to it comes from our Baptism. When we open our lives to join a community of Catholics, we are making the commitment to participate in this action of worship on a regular basis. We are also looking out for and should plan on sharing ourselves with those around us.

All of us are called through the Sacrament of Baptism to be “church.” We continue to experience it as we journey through each day and share in building up the Kingdom of God in the world. So often are we tempted to go it alone, as it were, to live by the philosophy of taking care of ourselves only, which is contrary to the style of being a true follower of Jesus.

We welcome you to the beginning of the journey of sharing our life of church with you. It is our hope that you will accept our invitation to join us and will blend your God-given gifts with the rest of us. We join in prayer with you from this day forward. We discern together the gifts of the Spirit in your life and pray that the Lord will guide you in a commitment of membership among us.

God bless you!
Fr. Michael J. O’Connor Pastor

Our Parish

The Catholic Community of St. Mary of the Lake was founded in 1889 to serve the needs of Catholic Christians living in Northern Ocean and Southern Monmouth Counties. Throughout the years, these things have remained constant:

Our Prayer and Our Service

Rooted in the Catholic tradition we are continually striving to serve others as Jesus did. This may take on many forms; through education, pastoral ministry or liturgical ministry. Our life together is strengthened and nourished by our community prayer, especially the celebration of the Eucharist. It is there that we hear the stories of old and apply them to our lives. It is there that we partake in the Body of Christ our food for the journey.

Today, we are large in numbers and spirit. We continue to look out to others to help us share the message of Jesus in the world. Come join us !