Co-Cathedral shares place of prominence in Freehold's history, outreach with other faith traditions

July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.


By Lois Rogers | Correspondent

From an historical and interreligious perspective, it would be hard to find folks in the greater Freehold area or those who research the Catholic heritage of New Jersey uninterested in this change in status, said Father Edward M. Jawidzik, St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral’s parochial vicar.

Father Jawidzik, a member of the Freehold Township Historical Commission, writes on history, and two of his recent articles appear in the current issue of The Recorder, the recently relaunched newsletter of the New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission.

St. Robert Bellarmine first made history by becoming not just the only Catholic church in Freehold Township, but also one of 11 Monmouth County Catholic parishes descended from its mother church – St. Rose of Lima, also in Freehold, which was founded in 1871.

As parish and Co-Cathedral, St. Robert Bellarmine stands in the heart of an area rich in religious tradition that dates to Colonial times, said Father Jawidzik. The great honor bestowed on St. Robert Bellarmine, he said, is a reflection of the “wonderful people who built a young church” into a thriving parish of nearly 4,500 families, whose caring approach to the needs of all lend a “very dynamic Catholic presence” to the wider community.

Indeed, Rabbi Melinda Panken, spiritual leader of Temple Shaari Emeth in nearby Manalapan, was among the religious leaders who acknowledged what the elevation means to the area which has a large population of people of varying faith traditions.

“We’re all kvelling [joyful] over here,” said Rabbi Panken, a member of the Freehold Ministerium, who participates in a number of outreach programs with St. Robert Bellarmine as well as the innovative, ongoing Three Faiths Panel involving members of Christian, Muslim and Jewish traditions.

“It’s an honor to us all that St. Robert’s will have this recognition,” she said. “We are looking forward to [participating] in more programs there. The elevation in status makes it more exciting, even symbolically, as a place to be.”

 

[[In-content Ad]]

Related Stories

By Lois Rogers | Correspondent

From an historical and interreligious perspective, it would be hard to find folks in the greater Freehold area or those who research the Catholic heritage of New Jersey uninterested in this change in status, said Father Edward M. Jawidzik, St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral’s parochial vicar.

Father Jawidzik, a member of the Freehold Township Historical Commission, writes on history, and two of his recent articles appear in the current issue of The Recorder, the recently relaunched newsletter of the New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission.

St. Robert Bellarmine first made history by becoming not just the only Catholic church in Freehold Township, but also one of 11 Monmouth County Catholic parishes descended from its mother church – St. Rose of Lima, also in Freehold, which was founded in 1871.

As parish and Co-Cathedral, St. Robert Bellarmine stands in the heart of an area rich in religious tradition that dates to Colonial times, said Father Jawidzik. The great honor bestowed on St. Robert Bellarmine, he said, is a reflection of the “wonderful people who built a young church” into a thriving parish of nearly 4,500 families, whose caring approach to the needs of all lend a “very dynamic Catholic presence” to the wider community.

Indeed, Rabbi Melinda Panken, spiritual leader of Temple Shaari Emeth in nearby Manalapan, was among the religious leaders who acknowledged what the elevation means to the area which has a large population of people of varying faith traditions.

“We’re all kvelling [joyful] over here,” said Rabbi Panken, a member of the Freehold Ministerium, who participates in a number of outreach programs with St. Robert Bellarmine as well as the innovative, ongoing Three Faiths Panel involving members of Christian, Muslim and Jewish traditions.

“It’s an honor to us all that St. Robert’s will have this recognition,” she said. “We are looking forward to [participating] in more programs there. The elevation in status makes it more exciting, even symbolically, as a place to be.”

 

[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092

e-Edition


e-edition

Sign up


for our email newsletters

Weekly Top Stories

Sign up to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every Sunday

Daily Updates & Breaking News Alerts

Sign up to get our daily updates and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox daily

Latest Stories


Lawmakers call for release of Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez
Lawmakers and exiled Nicaraguan nationals at a congressional hearing

Father Koch: A new liturgical year repeats the warning about the immanence of the end time
As we enter the Season of Advent we get ...

RBC football’s state title a fitting end for seniors who experienced a lot
When the Red Bank Catholic High School football team beat ...

New Jersey priest's devotion to saint helps bring her life to the big screen
For the last decade, Msgr. Paul Bochicchio of St. Francis Church...

“Christ the King”
I’m good at loading too much on my plate.


The Evangelist, 40 North Main Ave., Albany, NY, 12203-1422 | PHONE: 518-453-6688| FAX: 518-453-8448
© 2023 Trenton Monitor, All Rights Reserved.