St Mary's Parish Building Family Faith Community

09/03/2026

08/21/2026

Join us!

08/10/2026

Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - August 15th

08/01/2026

Perhaps you’ve wondered?

Explore Catholic teaching on evolution and creation with Dr. Dan Kuebler in this free video series uniting faith, science, and truth.

07/17/2026

Must have completed 4th grade in a religious Ed Program or Parochial School

07/16/2026

Must have attended 5th grade in our Faith Formation Program or St Mary’s School

07/11/2026

Going to the shore- they’ve got you covered!

☀️Heading to the Jersey Shore this summer? You don’t have to miss Mass! ⛪️

🏖️Whether you're down in Cape May, relaxing in LBI, or hanging on the boardwalk, finding a church nearby is simple. ✝️

👉 Click the links below to find a Sunday Mass near your favorite beach spot! ⛪

The Catholic Diocese of Trenton (Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth & Ocean counties) ➡️ https://shorturl.at/aLgeo

Diocese of Camden (Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, & Salem counties) ➡️ https://shorturl.at/oJsHe

07/11/2026

If Your Children Lose the Faith, It May Not Be the Church’s Fault - They Didn't Lose the Faith Overnight

I have spoken about this but my spirit still wants me to speak gently to parents again. Not to blame them. But to wake all of us up, myself included. Because many parents say:
“Father, my children don’t like church anymore.”
“They don’t want Mass.”
“They don’t pray.”
“They prefer other places.”
“The Church failed them.”

But sometimes, very quietly, the problem didn’t start in the Church. It started at home. Because faith is not first taught on the altar. It is first taught at the dining table. Your child’s first catechist is not the priest. It’s you. Not the parish. You. And children don’t learn faith from what we say. They learn from what we do.
You tell them: “Prayer is important.” But they never see you pray.
You tell them: “Mass is serious.” But you come late every Sunday. Or skip when it rains. Or stay home when there’s football.
You tell them: “God first.” But work, money, and phone always come first. What do you think they will believe? Your words? Or your lifestyle?

Children are not fooled. They copy what they see.
If faith is optional for you, it will be useless to them. If church is a burden for you, it will be punishment for them. If God is only remembered during problems, they will only remember God during exams. And then when they grow up, we panic: “Father, they left the Church!” But maybe they never really saw faith lived joyfully at home.

Teach these things to your children, talk about them at home, morning and night. Don’t leave everything for Sunday. Daily. Faith must be normal at home. Simple things: Praying together. Blessing meals. Talking about God naturally. Letting your children see you kneel. Let them see you go to confession. Let them see you take the Catholic Church seriously. Because when children see consistency, faith becomes real. But when they see hypocrisy, faith becomes fake. And no young person wants fake.

Listen carefully, parents, the parish supports you. The priest guides you. But you are the domestic church. If the fire doesn’t burn at home, Sunday Mass alone cannot fix it. One hour a week cannot compete with 100+ hours of worldly influence. So don’t just send your children to church. Walk with them. Pray with them. Model it. Because more than your advice, your example will save them. And one day, when they choose God freely, you will realize: It wasn’t the homily that formed them. It was your quiet faith at home.