By David Karas | Correspondent

As he looks toward his retirement from St. Clement Parish, Matawan, pastor Father John J. Scully offers an important clarification.

“Even though I am retiring, I am not retiring from the priesthood; I am retiring from being a pastor,” he said. “I am still a priest, and I am still working, but I won’t have the responsibility of a pastor.”

A Trenton native born May 30, 1944, Father Scully credits priests he met as a young man with inspiring his own vocation.

Father Scully attended St. Philip Neri College, Boston, and St. Charles College, Catonsville, Md. He prepared for the priesthood in St. Mary Seminary and University, Baltimore, and was ordained to the priesthood May 20, 1972, by Bishop George W. Ahr in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

Upon his ordination, he served in Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, moving three years later to St. Mary Parish, New Monmouth. His responsibilities there included both the parish grammar school and Mater Dei High School (now Mater Dei Prep). His vocation later brought a two-year assignment in St. James Parish, Woodbridge, followed by time in St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville. His first assignment as a pastor came in 1982, when he moved to Holy Innocents Parish, Neptune.

Father Scully reflected on the range of programs and services that his first pastorate encompassed.

 “The parish had its own elementary school, Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, and seven nursing homes,” he said. “My new parishioners’ first request was for the building of a new church.  In 1990 I formed an exploratory committee to determine if there was support from the parish and 88 percent of the parishioners supported construction of a new church building. We raised $1.2 million in pledges and the church was dedicated by Bishop John C. Reiss in 1992.”

Father Scully served on the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal along with the now deceased Msgr. Edward Strano, who later recommended Father Scully to replace him as pastor of St. Clement Parish upon his own retirement.

Father Scully spent the next 18 years of his priestly service in Matawan, and will celebrate his final Mass as pastor in St. Clement June 28.

Looking back

In retirement, Father Scully said that he looks forward to spending more time with his family and assisting in various parishes when called upon.

Reflecting on his 44 years as a priest and 18-year pastorate in St. Clement, Father Scully noted some of the accomplishments of which he is most proud.

Prominent on that list is the House of Hope, a property converted into a meeting space for support groups – and one that is now the backbone of many services.

“Every day, and almost every night, there is another group that uses that,” he said.

He also spoke about the many structural improvements made to the St. Clement Parish property, including new roofs on the church and center, enhancements to the parking lot and the addition of energy efficient parking lot lighting and handicapped ramps.

Father Scully has been credited for the impact he has had on parish youth and those in its religious education program. Throughout his 18 years as pastor, he regularly invited children to come to the altar after the Gospel reading and participate in a dialogue with him about the message of Jesus in the Scripture readings.

“I am very proud of our religious education program and the numerous volunteers who assist us with teaching at St. Clement,” he said, an the enthusiasm our children have for listening and learning about Jesus and the Church.”

Father Scully was honored in January, 2011 by the Matawan Borough Council as the “Citizen of the Year” for his years of faithful service to the community.

‘A Father Figure’

Parishioners have described Father Scully as a “father figure,” and a welcoming presence for anyone who would walk into the parish.

Linda Smith, who has worked for Father Scully in the parish office for nearly 19 years, said that he will surely be missed following his retirement.

 “I am sure all of the parishioners feel that way,” she said.

However, she said that she is happy that he will be able to enjoy his retirement following a long tenure of service both to St. Clement and the Diocese of Trenton.

“I think he is a wonderful pastor and a terrific boss,” she said, then described him as “very down to earth, very understanding.  He puts himself in other peoples’ places.”

His priestly tenure provided him ample opportunity to practice that empathy, notably in the aftermath of several disasters and tragedies that struck the region and touched his own congregation over the years.

In the wake of Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy, members of the parish community mobilized to assist those in need - a population that often included parishioners.

“We helped them with good, clothing (and) shelter,” recalled Father Scully. “A lot of the people came to the church.”

Even when the church itself lacked power in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, the light from the stained-glass windows allowed for Masses and prayer gatherings to continue uninterrupted, providing a sense of comfort and support to those recovering from the weather-related event.

The parish rallied in the days following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

“Our parishioners volunteered and collected supplies and organized them inside our parish gym. It was an incredible collective effort by our parish and local communities that were hit hard by loss from that terrible attack,” Father Scully said. “We lost six parishioners. I visited each family at their homes. It was a traumatic time and experience for all and we were proud one year later to honor the victims with a monument on the grounds of St. Clement where they could always be remembered.”

‘Still Learning’

Reflecting on his vocation, Father Scully noted how “in every parish, I learned something new. I think this is one of the advantages of a priest going from one parish to the next.”

He said that priests learn from the parish and parishioners, but also from their pastors, a process that is furthered when priests become pastors themselves, taking on new responsibilities while also providing mentoring for younger priests who will one day be in the same position.

“What amazed me was the growth,” he said when speaking of his transformations as a priest over his 44-year career. “I feel like I am still learning.”

Special contributor Tom Cosentino contributed to this report.