Getting to Know You!

Dear Parishioners,

As your new pastor, I think it is important that we get to know each other. Let me begin by telling you a little about myself.

I was born in the City of Brotherly Love, but grew up on the Jersey shore in Wildwood, NJ.  I am the oldest of five children—four boys and one girl.

I am truly the product of Catholic Schools:

• Kindergarten at St. John Cantius School (now part of Blessed Trinity Regional Catholic School), Philadelphia
• Elementary School at St. Ann Regional School (now part of Wildwood Catholic Academy), Wildwood
• High School at Wildwood Catholic High School (now Wildwood Catholic Academy)
• College Seminary at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Philadelphia
• Major Seminary at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, MD

I have been a priest for 39 years now, ordained in 1987 by the late Bishop George H. Guilfoyle. A significant amount of my priesthood had been involved with Catholic education, primarily at the former St. Joseph High School (now St. Joseph Academy), Hammonton for six years and the former Sacred Heart High School, Vineland for fourteen years.

Now I come to you with enthusiasm, zeal and the desire to build on the strong foundation of my predecessors here at St. Thomas the Apostle. Every priest brings with him his own unique gifts, talents and abilities. I hope to be able to share mine with you. I enjoy writing and, with the encouragement of the parishioners from my first parish as pastor, began writing a weekly column (now a blog www.fr-ed-namiotka.com) for my parishioners to read.  I also have a YouTube channel (Edward Namiotka) with many of my homilies. I invite you to check them out!

I have been involved with Worldwide Marriage Encounter, giving weekends for well over 35 years. If there has been an influence that has truly impacted my priesthood and ministry, Marriage Encounter is at the top of the list.

From my seminary days—especially from my time at Mt. St. Mary’s—I took with me a strong devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and a great love for Our Blessed Lady. Nothing defines my life and my priesthood more than this. I also have great love for the Sacred Scriptures which was my major in the seminary.

Please pray for me as I do for you! Be patient as I try to learn (and remember) your names and backgrounds. Remember there is only one of me to remember but I now have thousands more of you!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Until We Meet Again

 

St. Thomas More

As I sit down to write my final letter as pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, many emotions pass through my entire being.

First is the sadness of not being with my people, my parishioners, on a regular basis. I have become fond of seeing you from week to week, in some cases day to day. I have never been one to display my emotions visibly. You might say I sometimes have a poker face. However, this does not mean I don’t have and experience feelings deep inside. Sadness is real. Separation is hard. Leaving brings things to the surface.

Starting again somewhere new causes me feelings of anxiety and apprehension. I recall when I arrived here in Cherry Hill we were in the midst of a “pandemic.” People were not coming to church, were wearing masks and I knew practically no one. During this time I became gravely ill and was hospitalized. Afterwards, I was very much isolated in my rectory. This was not a great time in my (or anyone’s) life. I never want to go through this type of situation again. Moreover, as an introvert by nature, meeting new people is not easy. Over the years I have worked hard to overcome this, but it is real nonetheless.

But enough about me. I take this time to express my gratitude to all of you for your love, kindness, generosity and support. I have made many more friends and I have enjoyed being your pastor for these past six years. Whether it was at Mass, at dinner, in the confessional, in the hospital, at the grocery store or in some other circumstance, I will miss you. Life is short and every person we meet and situation we experience is meant for a reason. Hopefully, we learn from all of them.

My apologies to anyone whom I may have hurt or offended in any way during my time here. Priests are all too human. We make mistakes. We are not gods, although we should strive to be Christ-like. Please pray for me to become more like Christ every day.

Some priests are very good, timely and regular in saying “thanks.” This has not been one of my better qualities over the years. I put off and forget to send “thank you” notes. I am sparse in my compliments. I admit I am deficient in this area. Period. However, I take this time to thank anyone who has helped me or the parish in any way during my time here. Thank you, thank you, and thank you! I am grateful for all that you have done.

Finally, I thank God for allowing me 39 years of priestly service. (Unfortunately, I will not be here to celebrate a milestone year next year.) I especially thank the Blessed Mother for being my Spiritual Mother during these years. Her example of unselfish obedience to the will of God continues to guide and inspire me.

At the end of the musical Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye (the main character) has to say goodbye to one of his daughters (Hodel) who is leaving for a distant place (Siberia). The dialogue goes something like this: “Papa, God alone knows when we will see each other again.” Tevye then says to her: “Then we will leave it in His hands.”

Fortunately, I do not depart for some distant land. I am only going to Brigantine—a beach town about an hour away. Maybe I will see you there! We will leave that in God’s hands.

Be kind to Fr. Matveenko.

Please pray for me as I will pray to you!

Fr. Ed Namiotka   

Father's Day!

Dear Parishioners,

First of all, I pray for all fathers today—living and deceased. I lost my father many years ago in 1995 when he was only 64 years old. His love and concern for his wife and family are memories that cannot be easily erased from my mind.

As I was preparing to write for Father’s Day, I primarily want to address the men of our parish and community who are honored this day. While I do not have any biological children myself, I can still understand some of the obligations and duties of fatherhood since I am a spiritual father for the parish as priest and pastor. After all, I am called “Father” on a daily basis by young and old alike.

When I was teaching the Family Life class in high school, I would remind the students that it was relatively easy for most men biologically to have a child. No one has to teach the various animal species of the world the process of mating. Animal instinct will generally take care of that. However, to serve as a father to a child involves a lot more than the biological act of mating.

Fathers have the responsibility to love and care for, to feed and clothe, to educate and teach their children. More than that, however, fathers are to be the spiritual leaders of their homes—their domestic church. Every father is a type of priest for his home. He is the moral leader and exemplar for his family. Remember that when we call God “Our Father” as Jesus taught us, it is practically impossible not to have our own earthly fathers somewhat in the back our minds when we think of the concept of fatherhood. Earthly fathers should seek to be an example of the unconditional love that our Heavenly Father has for us.

Too often in our society and sometimes in various cultures, men do not accept the responsibility to be the spiritual fathers for their families.  We will have various women in a parish who become “church widows” since their husbands do not come regularly to church. This also leaves any children that they have as spiritual orphans since their dads are teaching their children that there are other things more important in life for them than God and Church. Remember that true fathers teach by both word and example!

Do I ever see dad pray?  Does dad ever volunteer his time at church?  Does dad go to confession regularly?  Does dad go to Mass and receive Holy Communion each week?  These are questions that might be going through your children’s minds. How will these questions be answered?

I propose St. Joseph as a role model for all fathers. God chose him to be the father-figure for Jesus on earth and he was His legal father (foster father) in worldly matters. While we have no spoken words from him in Sacred Scripture, Joseph is known as a “righteous” man (Mt. 1:19), obedient to the will of God. His concern and love for the Blessed Virgin and Jesus becomes apparent by his actions on their behalf.

I realize that some of the dads who need to hear this may not be in church to read this bulletin. Calling all church widows and spiritual orphans: please bring this bulletin to your husbands and/or fathers for me special delivery. I would be anxious to see the expressions on their faces.

For those many men who are faithfully trying to do a good job for their families: “thank you, dad!”

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I Place my Trust in Thee

Dear Parishioners,

In the Catholic Church, the month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I think it is no mere coincidence that the secular world puts an emphasis on something contrary to Christ and the teaching of His Church. Rebellious human beings would rather act defiant to God’s design and try to tell God how they should be allowed to live and act. The first deadly sin—pride—once again rears its ugly head.   

For fourteen years of my life I had worked at a high school named for Our Lord’s Sacred Heart. The motto of the school was: Fac Cor Nostrum Secundum Cor Tuum. (The translation of the Latin:  Make our hearts like unto Thine or Make our hearts like Your Heart.)

The image of the Sacred Heart centers on a devotion to Jesus’ physical heart as representing His Divine Love for all humanity. The Sacred Heart is often depicted in Christian art as a flaming heart shining with divine light. It is bleeding, pierced by the lance-wound, surrounded by a crown of thorns, and surmounted by a cross. The wounds and crown of thorns allude to the manner of Jesus' death, while the fire represents the transformative power of Christ’s love.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is associated with the devotion to the Sacred Heart. She entered the Visitation Convent in 1671 and six years later Christ appeared to her in a vision in which she said: "I could plainly see His heart, pierced and bleeding, yet there were flames, too, coming from it and a crown of thorns around it. He told me to behold His heart which so loved humanity. Then He seemed to take my very heart from me and place it there in His heart. In return He gave me back part of His flaming heart."

In all, there were four revelations, during which the now-familiar Twelve Promises of the Sacred Heart were made:

1.       I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.

2.       I will establish peace in their homes.

3.       I will comfort them in all their afflictions.

4.       I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.

5.       I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.

6.       Sinners will find in my Heart the source and an infinite ocean of mercy.

7.       Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.

8.       Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.

9.       I will bless every place in which an image of my Heart is exposed and honored.

10.   I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

11.   Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.

12.   I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment. 

The last of these promises is responsible for the nine First Fridays’ devotion. Also requested by Jesus was the establishment of a feast in honor of His Sacred Heart. We now celebrate this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on the first Friday after the octave of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. This year it falls on June 12, 2026. Bishop Williams intends to consecrate the Diocese of Camden to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at St. Mary’s Church, Gloucester City, NJ on this day. Additionally, we honor the Sacred Heart every first Friday of the month. It is also a Catholic tradition to have an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus enthroned in the family home.

Below is the Prayer of Consecration presented by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (U.S.C.C.B.):

O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus:

You know the longings of our hearts, and you desire that we enjoy friendship with you.

From your pierced side, you have poured out the wellspring of life, for which we thirst.

Your heart burns with a love for all people to return to a right relationship with you.

We celebrate the abundant gifts you have given this nation, founded on the self-evident truths that our Creator has endowed all people with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We make reparation for the offenses against you and against human dignity that have taken place in this nation.

May our hearts be united to yours, so that our families and communities enjoy peace and happiness; may broken relationships be reconciled, injustices repaired, and the wounds of our land be healed.

May your holy Catholic Church serve as a sign, pointing all people to your infinite love.

O Desire of Nations and Center of History, we ask you to bless these United States of America.

Who live and reign with God the Father

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Now that you have a brief history, what truly matters is whether or not we are becoming more Christ-like and whether our hearts reflect Christ’s love for us.

The simple prayer said — Make my heart like Your Heart — should remind us of the task in front of each of us.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ "A" (Corpus Christi) - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi)

Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, otherwise known as Corpus Christi. This is a solemnity that is transferred from Thursday (the day on which the Holy Eucharist was instituted) to Sunday in the United States and other countries. In Rome and various places throughout the world, however, it was celebrated this past Thursday.

As Catholics we are called to look at and adore the great gift that we possess in the Holy Eucharist.  We believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Let me be very direct and clear:  not all Christian faiths believe the same thing about the Holy Eucharist. Some believe that the Eucharist is merely a symbol or blessed bread. Other denominations believe that the bread and wine become Christ while the service is going on but return to bread and wine after the service is ended. Some hold that the Eucharist is a sacrament, while others do not. There are many varying points of view.

The Catholic Church believes and teaches that the bread and wine truly become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. It is truly Christ present on our altars and in our tabernacles. We take Christ at His word when the words of consecration are spoken: “This is my Body . . . This is my Blood.”

That’s why it’s frustrating to me that some people can be so cavalier about this essential belief of the Catholic faith. For some to say things like: “It’s all the same” or “One religion is as good as another” or “I’ll just go over to the nearby Protestant church” misses the point about what we have held as a core belief in the Catholic Church: We possess the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

Yes, it’s good for us to get down on our knees to adore and worship Christ truly present at every Mass and in our tabernacles. He promised to remain with us always: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20)  We believe that he kept this promise in the Holy Eucharist.

We read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 

 

The Mass is at the same time, and inseparably, the sacrificial memorial in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated and the sacred banquet of communion with the Lord's body and blood. But the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice is wholly directed toward the intimate union of the faithful with Christ through communion. To receive communion is to receive Christ himself who has offered himself for us.  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 1382)

I suggest that we all make an effort to be more intentional in the following matters when receiving our Lord in Holy Communion:

• Receiving Our Lord in the state of grace (not conscious of any serious or mortal sin, including deliberately missing Sunday Mass or Holy Days). The Sacrament of Penance is necessary when mortal sin is involved.
• Fasting from food and drink for a minimum of an hour beforehand (no gum chewing, etc.)
• Receiving Our Lord with utmost reverence and respect (no talking or other distracting behavior).
• Making a proper thanksgiving afterward (adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, supplication or acts).

May we always realize Who we have before us on our altars and in our tabernacles and Who we are privileged to receive in Holy Communion:  Jesus, the Son of God.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

Homily for the Ascension of the Lord "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Holy Trinity

Dear Parishioners,

Whenever we look at the mystery of the Holy Trinity, we should realize that this is not something that we could figure out on our own without God revealing this to us through Jesus. If our explanation of the Trinity were merely one opinion among many of the inner make-up of God, then God could be just about anything that any one of us thinks or believes. One Person? Four persons? However, as Catholic Christians we believe that Jesus—the Son of God and one of the Persons of the Holy Trinity—revealed to us the mysterious inner-workings of God.

God exists as three Persons in relationship. Jesus often spoke of God as His Father. He taught us to pray the prayer we call the “Our Father.” He told us that “whoever has seen (Him) has seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). He told us that “the Father and I are one” (Jn. 10:30). We begin to recognize this unique Father-Son relationship through Jesus.

But Jesus did not stop there.  He also began to speak of another—an “Advocate” (Jn. 15:26), “the Spirit of Truth”, (Jn. 15:26), the “Holy Spirit” (Jn. 14:26). With time the Church began to understand a little bit more about this third Person as “the Lord, the Giver of Life” who “has spoken through the prophets” (cf. the Nicene Creed).

It must have been very hard for many of the Jewish followers of Jesus who were strict monotheists to try to comprehend how God could be one, yet three at the same time. Why should this be surprising to us since we still fumble at various explanations to try to articulate this profound mystery?

As a teacher, the best analogy that I have used over the years that helps people comprehend this mystery of something being one and three at the same time is the analogy of ice, water and steam. All three have the same chemical composition (H₂O) and thus have a certain oneness, yet there can be a manifestation in different states (ice, water and steam) depending on temperature. While all analogies ultimately fall short of the reality, this analogy still gives us some insight into this profound mystery.

Then some insight might be given by the example of a human family where a relationship of two people in love with each other (in this case, husband and wife) can produce a third person (baby or child) who is both complete (a person) and entirely distinct from the other two. The family of this world may indeed reflect, in an analogous way, the mystery of the Holy Trinity—three unique and distinct Persons in one Godhead, eternally in love with each other.   

Trying to figure out God’s make-up is one thing. Having a personal relationship with each of the Persons of the Trinity is something else entirely. Jesus put a human face to God for us by taking on a human nature. And he also told us about the unique relationship that He has with the other Persons in the Godhead. Now we need to seek out each of these Persons of Holy Trinity in prayer and grow in our love for each of them—three Persons in one God.

On Trinity Sunday we rejoice in the fact that God (through Jesus) has revealed His inner make-up to us!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Pentecost

Dear Parishioners,

Today in the Catholic Church we celebrate Pentecost Sunday.

Pentecost comes from a Greek word meaning “fiftieth day.” In the Jewish tradition, Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks celebrated the time between Passover and the giving of the Law (Torah) to Moses on Mt. Sinai, a period of 50 days. It was the Hellenistic (Greek) Jews who referred to this feast as Pentecost.

In the Christian tradition, however, the meaning is different. Fifty days after Easter, Christians celebrate Pentecost as the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles (See Acts 2: 1-41). Pentecost has been referred to as the birthday of the Church.

Knowing the history of the Apostles and their actions / reactions to the Passion and Death of Jesus is significant here. Judas betrayed Christ and then hanged himself (Mt. 27: 3-10). Out of fear, Peter denied Christ (Mt. 26: 69-75). Also out of fear, all of the other Apostles (Mt. 26:56), except for John, fled from the cross. Yet, after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter, acting as the spokesperson for the other Apostles, addressed the crowds fearlessly:

You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it . . . . God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses . . . . Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified. (Acts 2: 22-24, 32, 36)

Obviously, something significant changed Peter and the other Apostles. First, they experienced the Risen Lord Jesus. They saw that He was alive despite everything that was done to torture and kill Him. He is alive. Next, they were filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit. They received supernatural gifts to strengthen them with their mission of preaching, teaching and witnessing to Christ’s Resurrection.

I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit can be responsible for the growth of the Church against all odds from its seemingly impossible beginnings to become a Church of over a billion today worldwide, can we underestimate what that same Spirit can do to renew the face of the earth? Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength. Pray for the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to be more fully present in your lives.

Don’t ever underestimate what the Holy Spirit can do if we invite Him into our lives (give Him permission) daily.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Preparing to Move

 

St. Thomas the Apostle Church

Dear Parishioners,

Yesterday, I started packing some of my stuff. This is not a task I look forward to doing. Sometimes I just sit and stare. Most objects that I own have a memory attached or a unique, personal significance. Everything in the rectory has to be packed and transported to Brigantine, NJ over the next seven weeks.

In case you were not present at this past weekend’s Masses when it was announced, I have been reassigned by the Bishop as the new pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Brigantine, effective July 1^st. I replace Fr. Edward Maher who is retiring. Fr. Michael Matveenko, the current pastor of St. Mary’s Church (on the other side of Springdale Road), will act as administrator of St. Thomas More Parish.

The sad reality we have to face as a parish and as a diocese is the rapidly declining number of diocesan priests. Projections over the next decade indicate that we will have about half of the number of diocesan priests needed to staff our current parishes. Remember the Bishop is only ordaining one priest this year on Saturday. There were two ordained last year. Other years there were none.

Regarding this parish, the number of parishioners and families has traditionally been small. This situation, unfortunately, cannot continue as the number of priests decline. We will need to combine programs and consolidate Masses with our neighboring parishes—particularly St. Mary’s.

Most people, including myself, dread or resist change. We like things to remain the same. However, change can also cause positive outcomes and lead to growth—both personal and communal. We can meet new people, find creative solutions, and help spread the faith to a wider group of people. Without change, we can sometimes become complacent or too comfortable in our lives—even with sin—if we don’t improve or try to grow. Change can be positive.

So as I prepare myself mentally, spiritually and emotionally for another assignment, I pray that I have contributed something positive to this parish and to your lives. No priest is perfect and I have made my mistakes. However, I have tried to do what I thought was best spiritually for my parish and its parishioners. The salvation of souls is and will continue to be my primary concern.

Have I been able to accomplish everything that I wanted to do? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Many plans were left undone. Any unfinished business will have to be left for someone else. Sorry for that. Priests are all too human. We struggle. We fail. We hurt. Unfortunately, we sin as well. I have realized both my fragile humanity and my mortality over these past six years.

On the positive side, I look forward to our Spring Fling parish picnic this weekend. I thank all who organized and helped prepare what was necessary to help strengthen our parish community.

Over the next weeks I will try to enjoy the time I have left as your pastor. The priest needs his people and the people need their priest to act as a spiritual father. Working together, may we continue to help build the Kingdom of God and work together for God’s greater glory.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

The Ascension, Mother’s Day and Preparation for Pentecost

 

The Ascension

Dear Parishioners,

I am sure that the movement of the celebration of Ascension Thursday to Sunday (May 17th this year) in the state of New Jersey will continue to be confusing for most people, and rightly so. Personally, I did not agree with this move, then or now. People who live in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, right over the Delaware River and those across the Hudson River in the Archdiocese of New York) are still obliged to observe and attend Mass on the traditional day (Thursday, May 14th, 40 days after Easter). A bit of confusion for all, wouldn’t you agree?

That being said, when Jesus ascended into heaven after His time on earth, he never abandoned us. He left us His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist. He remains in His words and teaching in the Sacred Scriptures. The ordained priest acts in His very person (in persona Christi) in the sacraments of the Church. He is present where two or three gather in His Name—community prayer, liturgy and worship, especially the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. And, as God-Man, He continues to intercede for us at the right hand of the Father.

Our humanity is now elevated in Jesus’ glorious Body and has entered Heaven. The fall and exile of Adam (original sin) is now reversed through the saving action of Christ, the new Adam. Heaven is open to us through Him. As He told us, no one comes to the Father except through Him (Jn. 14:6). This is what we celebrate.

I also wish all mothers today a happy Mother’s Day! For most people there is a special bond between mother and child. Our mothers carry us in their wombs for nine months. They endure the pangs of birth. They feed us, bathe us, clean up after us, teach us, comfort us, caress us and, most importantly, love us. How often they are willing to sacrifice for us!

Thanks moms for your strength, patience and ability to make things better by your calming and reassuring presence. Whenever we take you for granted or forget what you have done for us over the years, we apologize. You deserve better from us. We love you!

For those (like myself) who have lost their earthly mothers, please remember to pray for them and have Masses offered for them. Our faith teaches us, whether they are in purgatory or in heaven, they can pray for us! Let’s aid them in getting to heaven by offering our prayers, Masses and sacrifices for them. 

In addition to our biological (or adoptive) mothers, I think that it is also important to remember to honor Mary, our Spiritual Mother as well, especially in this month of May. We honor Our Lady as our Queen and Mother. She continues to intercede for her children here on earth and we place our confident hope and trust in her. Our Blessed Lady should play an essential role in the lives of Catholics and indeed all Christians. She was given to us as our mother through St. John at the foot of the cross: 

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.  (John 19: 26-27)

Finally, we enter into a period of preparation—originally, nine days of prayer or a novena—for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (May 24th). As the disciples prayed and awaited the promised Holy Spirit, so should we. The gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church transformed the lives of early Christians into true believers and bold witnesses to the risen Christ and His teaching.

One might see the obvious necessity of another outpouring of the same Holy Spirit for our times!

 Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

An Honest, Comprehensive Look at Our Parish

Dear Parishioners,

I begin my weekly letter to you with a serious tone because I need to address objectively the over-all situation at St. Thomas More Parish. I also need to put matters here in the context of our diocese and local deanery (group of parishes joined in a particular area).

First, I acknowledge how I have truly grown more in love with you, the people of St. Thomas More Parish, over my past six years as pastor. Honestly, it was not easy being assigned here following the combined retirement of one pastor and then by the unexpected, sudden death of his successor. It was also the time of COVID-19 with its difficulties and societal irregularities. Fortunately, time has helped to heal some of those situations.

On an incredibly positive side, I am grateful for the cultural and ethnic diversity found here as well as the prayerful and cooperative spirit I find in so very many of you! Historically, St. Thomas More has been an intimate parish, and our people enjoy the closeness and camaraderie this small size brings.

However, with a weekly congregation of approximately 300 per week attending the current three weekend Masses, I have found it challenging as pastor to pull together the necessary participants for more large-scale activities or programs. We just do not seem to have the numbers to attempt new or varied things repeatedly!

For example, our First Holy Communion class this year is three, we had no one in the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) preparing to become Catholic, and I have had about six weddings total over the past six years. Parish funerals exceed baptisms annually, our religious education program instructs only about 40 students, and our Confirmation ceremonies are small enough to be held during an ordinary Sunday Mass (without any overcrowding) rather than in a separate ceremony as at most parishes. So far this year, I have had only one infant baptism. I could go on listing similar statistics, but I think these sufficiently illustrate my point.

Now when we consider the priest situation in the diocese, only one priest is scheduled for ordination this May (with eight seminarians currently being trained in various seminaries). Three pastors are retiring this year. There are 62 parishes serving almost one half million Catholics with the number of active diocesan clergy declining annually.

With the above in mind, Msgr. Louis Marucci, the Episcopal Vicar for the Renewal of Structures and our Dean, has been leading a discernment session with a group of our parishioners and me to discuss our parish situation. In the “spirit of Synodality,” through an experience of prayer and planning, Msgr. Marucci continues to facilitate this planning session to discuss ideas and to initiate a conversation on the various possibilities, pathways, and collaborative efforts we might undertake to serve the Catholic families of St. Thomas More Parish, our deanery, and the entire diocese.

If I can be blunt, the status quo will not continue here at our parish, and various changes are currently being considered. We will know more in the coming weeks.

Please pray as decisions are made for the best possible outcome for us as a parish, the good of the entire Diocese of Camden and our local deanery.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

First Holy Communion and the May Crowning

Dear Parishioners,

On May 3, 2026, at the 11 AM Sunday Mass, our parish will witness our religious education children receiving their First Holy Communion. It is a very special time for them and for the entire parish.

 

I began to reminisce when I received my First Holy Communion almost six decades ago. I was in first grade, not the traditional second grade. (Incidentally, the very next year, I received the Sacrament of Confirmation.) First Holy Communion was on a Saturday morning and I received Our Lord as part of a rather large class of students—approximately 50 or more.

Depending on the parish, First Holy Communion frequently is on a Saturday (usually in May) or may also be celebrated at one or more of the Sunday Masses. With our small size, the three First Communicants here will once again be receiving at the Sunday Mass.

It is critical to remember that the two families that should be most important in the children’s lives are their domestic family and their Church family. The parents are the first (and need to be the best) teachers of their children in the ways of faith.  It is also necessary to consider that we are preparing the children to be a part of the regular worshipping community that we call the Church.  While it may look “nice” or “cute” to have all of the children together in one (or two) ceremonies with their classmates and friends, it is much more essential to emphasize for them the bonds of family and Church. Essentially, we are not preparing them to be with their current friends (who may not be their friends past next week), but to be regular, practicing members of the Catholic Church as experienced through their local parish family.

Let me quote from our diocesan guidelines:

Children should be made aware that Eucharist is not a “once and done” sacrament. Therefore, there should be encouragement to the children (and their parents) to form good habits of weekly celebration of the Eucharist.

Although so many Catholics today lack commitment and seriousness when it comes to the Sunday obligation to attend Mass, our requirement to worship God regularly has never changed. With our daily prayer, God deserves our worship minimally once a week at Mass. Amazingly, when we do so, we are often the ones who benefit from hearing the Word of God preached to us from the Sacred Scriptures. We are the ones being fed with Jesus, the Bread of Life, in Holy Communion to aid us in our journey of life.

We all have much to learn from each other and to teach one another. We should rejoice to see our children share in the sacramental life of the Catholic Church, as lived and experienced in our parish family. If the faith is not handed on to, experienced and practiced by our young, then eventually our Church will be nothing but a bunch of empty, lifeless buildings.

Congratulations to our First Communicants! My prayer is that your faith in Jesus Christ will grow ever stronger as you receive another important sacrament in your spiritual journey. 

Also, we will be honoring our Blessed Mother Mary after the Mass with the traditional May Crowning led by our First Communicants. Our Blessed Lady is Spiritual Mother to all of us and we publicly honor her as her spiritual children and disciples of her Divine Son, Jesus.

I hope that you can join us! 

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter "A" - Fr. Edward Namiotka

 

The Road to Emmaus

 

Dear Parishioners,

Many years ago, the priests of the Diocese of Camden participated in a spirituality program of priestly fraternity that we referred to as the Emmaus program. It was based on the scriptural passage from today’s gospel of St. Luke (Lk. 24: 13-35). Priests were encouraged to make the journey of the two disciples with Jesus and ultimately to recognize the Risen Jesus in the Breaking of Bread like the disciples.

Notably, the two disciples were headed away from Jerusalem where Jesus had been crucified. They told the unknown stranger walking with them that they “were hoping that [Jesus] would be the one to redeem Israel.” Still, they were heading in the opposite direction. They had to be instructed how the teachings of the Scriptures, from the time of Moses and the prophets, referred to Jesus. The Scriptures were explained and interpreted for them.

Later, after the stranger was persuaded to stay for the meal, “he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.” Note the Eucharistic formula and tone. And they finally recognized Jesus in the “breaking of bread.” He became present for them under the appearance of bread, and then disappeared from their sight.

This excerpt from the gospel is theologically important as it parallels the structure of the Catholic Mass: Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist. First, the Scriptures are interpreted and explained for us. Then, the sacrificial meal is shared in which Jesus becomes present in the Breaking of Bread. Hopefully, we can better understand how this passage illustrates our pattern of worship and what we believe actually happens during the Mass.

Belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist is an essential, non-negotiable teaching of the Catholic Church. The disciples recognized Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist while he disappeared physically from their sight. Catholics are called at every Mass to a faith seeing Jesus in the breaking of bread.

Additionally, from this passage we can learn about a redirection that was made in the lives of these disciples. Although they were initially headed in the opposite direction—away from the cross—they were turned around and returned to Jerusalem and to the Apostles. Whenever we might be journeying in the wrong direction in our lives, Jesus can help to reroute us back to the proper course. This can apply to matters both great and small.

While we have heard before about many Catholics not understanding or believing in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, it appears that these disciples in the early Church understood that Jesus was truly resurrected and present with them and remained with them in the breaking of bread.

Pray that the Lord may redirect our hearts and minds when they go astray and increase our belief in His Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist. He remains with us!

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor