By Lois Rogers | Correspondent

It’s been one hundred years since land was purchased for a mission church to serve Catholics in the Bayshore town of Keansburg.

In the decades that followed, that small mission church known as St. Ann would undergo a vast transformation. From its early days as a place of worship mainly for the summer visitors who flocked to what was then one of the premiere resorts of New Jersey, the parish, established in 1924, grew to become a beacon of faith and a bulwark of service to the community at large.

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And over the century, neither fire, nor flood, economic hard times or seismic demographic changes have dimmed its great light.

That light was shining brightly Sept. 25 inside the most recent iteration of that small church – a large, stucco and tile Spanish-style structure that stands as a landmark in the small, waterfront town. There, hundreds of faithful of many generations gathered with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., Father Daniel G. Cahill, their pastor, and 12 concelebrants for a Mass of Thanksgiving to mark the centennial. In his homily, Bishop O’Connell spoke of how such anniversaries are indeed, “milestones, occasions of joy and opportunities to remember. For a Catholic parish, however,” the Bishop noted, “it is not buildings or property we remember, no. The 100th birthday of a parish is a celebration of family and community – families and communities, really – who have been ‘generations of faith,’ living out the promises of their baptism together, seeking and finding Christ together in his Church and in our neighborhoods.”

He spoke of that journey through time in a parish as “One hundred years of Sacraments: bringing to life and confirming life; feeding with the Bread of Life; mending and reconciling lives; marrying into new lives; handing lives over to God.”

In a moving passage, the bishop asked everyone to consider themselves woven into the fabric of “One hundred years of hearing God’s Word. One hundred years of generosity, of sharing, of charity of living the Christian life.”

“That’s what parish anniversaries celebrate and the Church of St. Ann in Keansburg does that today as a century old living, vibrant and growing community of faith.”

Loving Legacy

Among the many listening intently to Bishop O’Connell’s every word was Nancy Ryan Aloisi, a member of the third of four generations fed spiritually by St. Ann Parish. As she sat with her husband Al during the brief social that followed the Mass, Aloisi talked about the memories evoked by the liturgy and the tears they inspired.

These were “good tears” Aloisi said. Some were shed in memory of her mother, Bette Ryan, who was devoted to the parish. Some fell as she looked at the priests gathered around the altar, many of whom she knew from their years of service to the community of St. Ann.

They included Father Jeffrey Kegley, pastor of St. Mary Parish, New Monmouth, who had begun discerning his priestly vocation there, Father Pablo Gadenz, author and associate professor of theology at Seton Hall University, and Father Edward Jawidzik, now parochial vicar in St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold.

“Four generations of our family grew up in the (parish),” she said. “Three generations went to the school. … Everyone was always so nice. My mother, Bette, she was so active in the PTA, Altar-Rosary Society and the choir. She was a Eucharistic minister.”

These memories, she said, are very precious.

That sentiment was echoed throughout the early afternoon and even days later as folks thoughtfully recapped what they loved most about the parish.

Pat Dean and Mickey Garcia, members of the committee that organized the centennial festivities, joined with Lorraine Wheeler, Sue Foulks and Rita Nabel at the brief reception that followed the Mass.

They put their affection very simply: “This parish is love,” was their unified answer when asked to describe St. Ann.

“It’s warm, it’s friendly, it’s a community parish that’s family strong,” was their consensus.

Theresa Kelly directs the religious education program attended by more than 300 children from kindergarten through eighth grade.

She called St. Ann a “very different parish community from any I have known. So diverse. It is such a melting pot of Catholicism and not just ethnically,” said Kelly, who enjoys its wide generational range and the willingness of all ages to volunteer whenever asked.

Willing Hands and Hearts

In his weekly bulletin message to parishioners Sept. 25, Father Cahill tapped into the sentiments expressed by Bishop O’Connell and communicants, sharing how the parish has steadfastly enriched the “lives of a great many people,” through the celebration of the Mass and the Sacraments.

Generations of children, he noted have been “guided along the path of truth,” in religious education programs and “a helping hand has been extended to the poor and the needy. The needs of the sick, lonely and troubled have been catered to.”

After the Mass, Father Cahill said the long standing commitment of the community to Catholic social teachings reflected in the parish outreach programs reflects that abiding concern.’

These include Project PAUL (Poor, Alienated, Unemployed, Lonely), founded in 1980 under Msgr. Edward D. Strano, pastor from 1976 – 86 which centered on the establishment of a food pantry, back then serving approximately 25 local families and a thrift shop.

The project expanded through the early ‘80s, Father Cahill noted, as, with the help of grants and funding, services were added to meet the increasing needs of the financially beleaguered throughout the Bayshore area. Included are not only residents of Keansburg, but also Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Keyport, Little Silver, Matawan, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Rumson, Sea Bright, Shrewsbury and Union Beach.

The Bayshore Senior Center opened in July, 1975 under Msgr. Frederick A. Valentino’s pastorate and over the decades also benefited from grants as it expanded to offer a wide range of recreational and educational programs, he said.

Working with Interfaith Neighbors, St. Ann also supports Meals on Wheels, delivering food to the elderly and shut-ins. The senior center’s biggest contribution, he said, is a medical center at the senior center staffed by nurse practitioners of the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) and a medical doctor. “The medical center averages 3,000 visits a year from low income people,” said Father Cahill.

The third program he pointed to is the childcare center currently attended by 70 children.

The turnout at the Mass and the 400 or so who attended the gala dinner at Jacques which followed was a great indication of overall parishioner support for these efforts, he said.

“I couldn’t say enough about the energy in the area that went into preparing the celebration. It all came together and having the Bishop here made it one happy occasion.”

Fond Memories

Mercy Sister Mary Faith Moore founded the childcare center 33 years ago. She was among a group of Mercy Sisters at the Mass representing scores of their fellow sisters who have served the parish since its school – which closed in 2009 – opened back in 1931.

The sisters received the loudest and longest applause of the day and Sister Mary Faith garnered stomps and whistles when she was honored with the presentation of a finely handcrafted Rosary with a Crucifix inscribed with the legend “100 Years.”

“I had been teaching at other parishes and when the community gave us a choice in where we wanted to go, I chose Keansburg. Everyone wanted to go to Keansburg. The people were so good that everyone wanted to go there.”

She expressed her joy at being able – with the help of more than $200,000 in grants – to establish childcare in an area where there was such a profound need for it. It was, she recalled, one of the first centers to receive a license to care for infants.