By Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor

Ever hear of the Diocese of Gikongoro? How about the Diocese of Ijebu-Ode or the Diocese of Morogoro?

Perhaps not, but there are plentiful opportunities now and during the summer months for faithful to broaden their knowledge about the people and works of the Church in these places and many other parts of the world.

Each year from May through August, the work of evangelization carries on in a special way as parishes around the Diocese welcome missionaries who spend a weekend meeting the parishioners and sharing their stories of faith, hope and love in their respective ministries and countries.

Father Peter James Alindogan, diocesan mission director and pastor of St. Jerome Parish, West Long Branch, and St. Mary Parish, Deal, said the missionary visits are coordinated through the diocesan Missionary Cooperative Plan, which seeks to promote mission awareness and to inspire prayer and support for their work in all corners of the world. Each parish is to host a missionary on a scheduled weekend.

Along with generating monetary support, Father Alindogan said the missionaries can have significant teaching roles in the Church and convey messages on “our shared universality and Catholicity, our stewardship of our time, skills and possessions, our sacrifice of selves, our response to comfort, entitlement and convenience, and our sharing of what we basically need and what we temporarily, and maybe, impulsively want.”

 “The missionaries do not just visit our parishes for the sake of soliciting funds for our mission areas abroad, though it is integral to the visit,” Father Alindogan said.  “Their presence and their message are reminders of our common calling and challenge as baptized Catholics who are meant to spread the Good News of the Kingdom of God to all corners of the world. The visit of missionaries to parishes gives us opportunities for self-reflection in our faith journeys and challenges us to share more of ourselves for the sake of Jesus, the missionary Son sent by his father.”

Parishes to host missionaries

Allentown, St. John the Baptist, May 19-20

Asbury Park, Mother of Mercy, Aug. 4-5

Atlantic Highlands, Our Lady of Perpetual Help-St. Agnes, Aug. 18-19

Avon-by-the-Sea, St. Teresa of Calcutta (St. St. Elizabeth of Hungary/Ascension, Bradley Beach), July 21-22

Barnegat, St. Mary, June 23-24

Bay Head, Sacred Heart, June 9-10

Bayville, St. Barnabas, Aug. 18-19

Belmar, St. Rose, July 28-29

Bordentown, Mary Mother of the Church (St. Mary/Sts. Francis and Clare), July 21-22

Brick Town, St. Dominic, July 28-29

Brick Town, Visitation, June 2-3

Brick Town, Epiphany, June 2-3

Browns Mills, St. Ann, July 28-29

Burlington, St. Katharine Drexel, July 21-22

Cinnaminson, St. Charles Borromeo, June 23-24

Colts Neck, St. Mary, Aug. 18-19

Delran, Resurrection, July 14-15

Eatontown, St. Dorothea, Aug. 18-19

Eatontown, Immaculate Conception, July 29

Ewing, Incarnation-St. James, July 7-8

Fair Haven, Nativity, June 24

Farmingdale, St. Catherine of Siena, Aug. 4-5

Forked River, St. Pius X, July 7-8

Freehold, St. Rose of Lima, Aug. 18-19

Freehold, St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Aug. 4-5

Hainesport, Our Lady Queen of Peace, May 26-27

Hamilton, Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony, July 28-29

Hamilton, St. Raphael-Holy Angels, June 30-July 1

Hamilton Square, St. Gregory the Great, July 21-22

Hightstown, St. Anthony of Padua, July 7-8

Holmdel, St. Benedict, Aug. 18-19

Holmdel, St. Catharine, Aug. 4-5

Hopewell, St. Alphonsus, June 9-10

Howell, St. Veronica, Aug. 4-5

Howell, St. William the Abbot, June 23-24

Jackson, St. Aloysius, July 21-22

Jackson, St. Monica, July 21-22

Keansburg, St. Ann, May 26-27

Keyport, Holy Family, July 15-16

Keyport, Our Lady of Fatima (St. Joseph/Jesus the Lord)

Lakehurst, St. John, Aug. 11-12

Lakewood, St. Anthony Claret, June 9-10

Lakewood, St. Mary of the Lake, Aug. 18-19

Lavallette, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Aug. 11-12

Lawrenceville, St. Ann, June 23-24

Lincroft, St. Leo the Great, July 29-30

Little Egg Harbor, St. Theresa, July 14-15

Long Branch, Christ the King, June 2-3

Manalapan, St. Thomas More, Aug. 11-12

Manasquan, St. Denis, July 28-29

Maple Shade, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, July 28-29

Marlboro, St. Gabriel, June 9-10

Marlton, St. Isaac Jogues, June 23-24

Marlton, St. Joan of Arc, Aug. 4-5

Matawan, St. Clement, July 14-15

Medford, St. Mary of the Lakes, July 14-15

Middletown, St. Catherine, May 26-27

Middletown, St. Mary, July 21-22

Millstone Township, St. Joseph, Aug. 25-26

Monmouth Beach, Precious Blood, July 21-22

Moorestown, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Aug. 25-26

Mount Holly, Christ the King, June 30-July 1

Mount Holly, Sacred Heart, July 28-29

Mount Laurel, St. John Neumann, July 14-15

Neptune, Holy Innocents, June 2-3

New Egypt, St. Isidore the Farmer (Assumption/St. Andrew, Deal), Aug. 25-26

Pennington, St. James, July 7-8

Point Pleasant, St. Martha, June 2-3

Point Pleasant Beach, St. Peter, May 26-27

Princeton, St. Paul, Aug. 25-26

Princeton Junction, St. David the King, Aug. 4-5

Red Bank, St. Anthony of Padua, June 23-24

Red Bank, St. James, June 30-July 1

Riverside, Jesus the Good Shepherd,

Riverton, Sacred Heart, July 8

Rumson, Holy Cross, July 14-15

Sea Girt, St. Mark, June 16-17

Seaside Park, St. Junipero Serra (St. Catharine of Siena/Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Seaside Heights), July 14-15

Spring Lake, St. Catharine, Aug. 4-5

Tabernacle, Holy Eucharist, Aug. 18-19

Titusville, St. George, May 19-20

Toms River, St. Joseph, Aug. 18-19

Toms River, St. Justin the Martyr, July 14-15

Toms River, St. Luke, Aug. 11-12

Toms River, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Aug. 4-5

Trenton, Our Lady of the Angels, July 14-15

Trenton, Sacred Heart, June 2-3

Trenton, St. Hedwig, July 21-22

Trenton, St. Joseph

Trenton, St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Aug. 18-19

Wayside, St. Anselm, June 9-10

West End, St. Michael, Aug. 11-12

West Long Branch, Our Lady of Hope (St. Jerome/St. Mary Deal), July 14-15

West Trenton, Our Lady of Good Counsel, July 28-29

Whiting, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Willingboro, Corpus Christi, June 23-24

Yardville, St. Vincent de Paul, Aug. 11-12