St. Aloysius Parish

About Us:

Who We Are

What We Believe

Our Staff

Parish Ministries Council

Ministries and Volunteering

Directions

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Who We Are

Bishop George W. Ahr, 7th Bishop of Trenton, established the Parish of Saint Aloysius on June 12, 1964, appointing the Reverend Amedeo L. Morello as our founding Pastor. Fr. Morello celebrated the first Sunday Mass on July 5, 1964 at Switlik Elementary School in Jackson.

In September of 1964 a 16-acre farm was purchased to become the site of the new Church grounds. The original two-story farmhouse on the property was repaired, and on December 18, 1964 began its service as the Rectory for the parish. The tool shed behind the rectory was converted into a chapel and served as the tabernacle home of Our Lord awaiting the construction of a Church. From these humble beginnings new construction was begun on January 9, 1966 with the ground breaking for a Church, cafeteria, school office and two classrooms.

In September of 1994, St. Aloysius Elementary School was opened with two classes each of Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade. June 2002 marked the first Eighth Grade graduation of St. Aloysius Elementary School.

Since its founding in 1964, Saint Aloysius Parish has grown to more than 5000 families. The Elementary School has a healthy enrollment of over 300 students and Religious Education has an enrollment more than 1800 students. Throughout the years, many parish societies and organizations have sprung up from the community, making our parish active and vibrant. Recently, Saint Aloysius initiated its "Journey to Community" - a collaborative effort of clergy and laity from which emerged a Pastoral Council and four Ministerial Core Communities.

Bishop John M. Smith dedicated our new, award-winning church building on March 14, 2009.

In the new millennium, we, as a Catholic Community, recognize our mission to be a people worshiping and growing in faith, committed to love, to serve, and to forgive as Jesus.

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What We Believe

The Catholic Church is the Universal Church of Christ. For 2,000 years the Church has been striving to teach, preach and live the instruction given to us by Jesus. Jesus was born into a marginal Jewish family in Israel under the rule of the Roman Empire. Being truly human, Jesus saw suffering, injustice and poverty every day of his human life on earth. Having learned the teachings on social justice in his Jewish faith, and by his deep union with God, Jesus cared for the most vulnerable members of his society. He taught the Word of God, healed the sick and gave hope to the poor. He charged his followers, by word and example, to accept the great dignity that God has given to every human being, and to work for the dignity and well being of others. Being truly divine, Jesus offered us the most perfect way to worship God, to have full union with God in the Eucharist, which we celebrate each Sunday, and every day if one desires.

This is who we are - who we strive to be as a community and as individuals - a people of faith, rooted in hope, working for the good of all.

One who would like to become a member of the Catholic Church unites the journey that brought them here with a new journey, more deliberately walking with Christ.
On this journey:

• We go to Mass together to hear the Word of God (the Scriptures).
• We learn and understand what the Scriptures mean, and how they relate to our lives.
• We come to know more deeply the unbreakable love that God has for each of us.
• We recognize that same love that God has for others, and try to love them with God's heart.
• We see more clearly how God has already been working in our lives, where God is present now, and how we can invite God more fully into our hearts.
• We learn the teachings and traditions that have been handed down for centuries through the Bishops of the Church.
• We serve our community and learn to pray.
• We live what we have learned in every part of our lives: family, work, school, with friends, in our community, and beyond.
• We seek to be reconciled where we have been hurt or hurt others.
• We become initiated into the Church through the Sacraments, participating fully in the life of the Church.

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Parish Ministries Council

The purpose of this program is to assess the needs of the parish, design strategies to implement change, and to participate in ongoing education and formation. It is from this parish leadership program that our Core Communities, our Parish Council and our Covenant Handbook Committee have come. The Core Communities of our PMC include: Administration, Faith Formation, Outreach, and Worship.

Administration Core Community

The mission of the Administration Core Community is to work in a sharing environment, using individual gifts & talents, to develop, coordinate, & oversee the temporal resources of the parish. We will advise & support the Pastor regarding the management of parish finances & the use of church property.

Faith Formation Core Community

The mission of the Faith Formation Core Community is to provide leadership, insight & guidance, by the creation of a parish vision that enables a lifelong personal relationship with God through a family process of faith-sharing. Through Christ's teachings we, as a parish family, will foster & nurture the spiritual, sacramental, educational & emotional well-being of all, in a loving, caring Christian Community.

Outreach Core Community

The mission of the Outreach Core Community, functioning as faith-filled apostles/disciples of Christ, is to enable love & justice, care & compassion, for the spiritual & corporal welfare of the children of God by determining & responding to Community needs in the areas of ecumenism, life & health care, community action, bereavement, social justice & social concerns.

Worship Core Community

The mission of the Worship Core Community is to renew & unite the parish family in its relationship to God & one another through the celebration of the Liturgy & by creating an atmosphere of love, prayerfulness, invitation, friendliness, joyfulness & support, so all may say, "I'm glad I went to Church today."

Pastoral Council Mission Statement
Empowered to be the body of Christ, we, the Pastoral Council of the Catholic Community of St. Aloysius, shall build up the Kingdom of God. Appreciating our past, we will respond to the present needs of the people, and envision a future that will bond us as one parish family on our journey of faith.

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Ministries

Find your place here at St. Aloysius Church.
Our ministries are designed to help you grow personally and spiritually. Get involved today! Click here for our list of ministries!

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How Do I Get To St. Aloysius?

St. Aloysius Parish
935 Bennetts Mills Road
Jackson, NJ 08527

From Garden State Parkway :

Go to Exit 98. Follow signs for I-195 West. Go approx. 7 miles and take Exit 28A (Rt. 9 South). Go to 2nd light (Taco Bell) and make right turn onto Aldrich RD. Go 2.8 miles. St. Aloysius is on left.

From Trenton and West:

Take I-195 East to Exit 22 - Georgia - Jackson Mills. Bear right at end of ramp following signs for Shop Rite and McDonalds. Go approx. 1 mile and make left on to Rt. 526- County Line Rd. Go approximately 3 miles to the traffic light at intersection of Bennetts Mills Rd. Go through light and take the jughandle behind the Lukoil gas station. Cross over RT 526/County Line RD (the road you were on) on Bennetts Mills RD. The entrance to St Aloysius is immediately past the Post Office, approximately 100 yards from intersection on right hand side.

From Route 9 (North of Howell):

Go to the second light south of I-195 interchange in Howell and make a right turn, heading west on Aldrich RD. Go 2.8 miles. St. Aloysius is on left.

From Lakewood :
Take Route 9 to County Line RD (Rt. 526). Go towards Jackson . After passing Jackson Skating Center on your right, make right at 1st light ( Bennetts Mills RD ). Less than 100 yards turn right into St. Aloysius driveway (right after the Post Office).

From Route 70 and West:
Take Route 70 to Whitesville RD ( County Rt. 527). Go across RR tracks and at next light, make right turn on to Hope Chapel RD. Take all the way to end and make left on County Line RD. Go through a few lights and after passing Jackson Skating Center on your right, make right at 1st light ( Bennetts Mills RD ). Less than 100 yards turn right into St. Aloysius driveway (right after the Post Office).