Having recently passed the one year anniversary of its founding, the merged parish community of Christ the King, Long Branch, has undergone a thorough evaluation of the community’s growth and needs, while taking the first steps in mapping out a long-range plan to build for the future.

Father Daniel Peirano, pastor of Christ the King, and Frank Muzzi, parish business manager, delivered a report on the parish’s progress, challenges and future plans during a presentation held June 17 in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church. The presentation was attended by several hundred parishioners, with the report given in the three primary languages of the worship community; English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Father Peirano offered an overview of the strides made during the year that had passed since the three Long Branch parishes of Our Lady Star of the Sea, St. John the Baptist and Holy Trinity were officially merged to form Christ the King Parish July 1, 2009. The merger was announced in November 2008 by Bishop John M. Smith as a result of the Monmouth Central Deanery Study.

The decision to merge the parishes, as announced during Christ the King’s inaugural Mass on July 5, 2009, was based on the “need for better stewardship, appropriate use of clergy and promoting optimum use of the facilities.”

Citing Progress
Although there have undoubtedly been growing pains in the parish’s first year, Father Peirano in his report noted a number of significant events that marked progress for the merged community.

To meet the needs of all parishioners, Mass schedules in the parish’s two worship sites, Our Lady Star of the Sea and Holy Trinity, were amended to include liturgies in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Parishioners from all three communities also came together for processions in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Our Lady of Fatima.

The parish also merged a number of individual ministries into newly-unified ministries under the Christ the King banner. St. John the Baptist and Holy Trinity united their St. Vincent de Paul Societies, with the St. Vincent de Paul clothing shop being relocated to the former convent at Our Lady Star of the Sea. The parish also introduced a merged social concerns group, Holy Name Society, and Rosary Altar Society, while also increasing the number of social gatherings to promote unity within the parish.

Addressing Concerns
It also became evident, however, that the new parish could not support the 12 properties that had previously made up its three individual parishes. Citing declining collections as well as high utility and maintenance costs, parish leaders commissioned a full study to determine the status and potential future of each facility.

In February, architect Jay Measley was retained to assess the physical structure of some of the buildings to determine their safety and sustainability. Measley’s report indicated that St. John the Baptist Church, which was originally built as a clothing factory in 1933 and later converted into a church, had degraded beyond the point of renovation.

The report cited structural safety concerns, including a sagging main roof structure, and a potential fire safety hazard in the choir loft. The study also noted the church’s lengthy history of code violations from the Long Branch Building Department. Due to safety concerns, Mass had not been celebrated in St. John the Baptist Church since the spring of 2009.

Measley also reported that a vacant house on the property of Our Lady Star of the Sea, which is more than 100 years old, was significantly deteriorated, including damage to the floors, walls, ceilings and foundation.

As a result of the assessment, Measley recommended that St. John the Baptist Church and its adjacent apartment, as well as the house at Our Lady Star of the Sea, should be demolished. In May, Christ the King Parish leaders submitted a request to the diocese to follow the recommendation of eliminating the two properties, with plans to sell the lot previously occupied by St. John the Baptist Church.

Upon careful consideration of all contributing factors, the request was approved by Bishop John M. Smith in early August, and the church was razed Sept. 1. The land was cleared and filled to be sold, with the hope that the proceeds will be used for the construction of a new multi-use parish center named in honor of the former St. John the Baptist Church.

According to Muzzi, the house at Our Lady Star of the Sea will be demolished in the near future, pending approval of local authorities. No decision has been made at this time as to the future of that property, Muzzi said.

Future Vision
The proposed parish center, which would be located adjacent to Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, would contain a chapel, meeting and conference rooms, a full-service kitchen, religious education classrooms, parish offices, a food pantry and clothing shop.

Father Peirano has outlined his vision for the proposed parish center, noting that the St. John the Baptist Chapel will contain several sacred items preserved from the former church, including the marble altar and nine circular medallions from the stained glass windows.

The estimated cost of the project is $3.5 million. A proposal for approval of the project has not yet been submitted to the diocese, as Christ the King must first build the financial resources to make the planned St. John the Baptist Center a reality.

Father Peirano and Muzzi indicated that they are working toward a master development plan for the future of the parish, which will include the sale of other church properties. Through the reduction of excess properties, they said, the parish will be able to save the necessary funds for the parish center and greatly reduce current operating costs.