Msgr. Tuzeneu hailed as true messenger of God
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
MANAHAWKIN – When St. Mary of the Pines Church was rising on the landscape of this southern Ocean County town a couple of years back, its pastor and his flock checked the progress daily and sometimes more than daily.
What drew them time and again to the construction site was the sense that this was so much more than a structure going up, it was, as they put it, “a family building a house.”
And it was as a family that they gathered Dec. 27 at St. Mary of the Pines as Bishop John M. Smith formally conferred papal honors on Msgr. Kenard J. Tuzeneu.
The church, which seats 1,000, was filled to capacity as Msgr.Tuzeneu was recognized for his dedication, prayerfulness and service as a “true messenger of God,” by Bishop Smith.
Msgr. Tuzeneu, known for his self-effacing demeanor, called it a “great day,” one warmed by the presence of family and friends. “There were a lot of people. All of my immediate family members were there. It was a wonderful day.”
It was a day never really anticipated, the new monsignor said. “I wasn’t really expecting this great honor,” he said. “The bishop mentioned something like this might happen at the dedication of the church but I thought he was half-joking.”
Parishioners and family members, however, weren’t surprised. The honor, they said, is so very well deserved.
“The bishop’s tribute to Msgr. Tuzeneu was right on target,” said Fred Duffy, who co-chaired the building committee for the new church and chairs the building committee for a new parish center on the same campus.
“He described monsignor as a true messenger of God and that’s how I see him. I was thrilled for him.”
Duffy praised Msgr. Tuzeneu for his ability to meet the needs of the parish which has grown to include 7,000 families. “There is a lot of building in this area,” said Duffy who lives in Fawn Lakes, one of many adult communities that have sprung up in southern Ocean County over the last two decades.
“There is tremendous growth in all populations,” he said. “Masses are filled. If we didn’t have him to lead us, I don’t know where we would be.”
Msgr. Tuzeneu became pastor in 1992 before the building boom burst into full bloom. Since then, he has worked actively to expand the facilities, beginning first with All Saints Regional School and then with a building campaign for a church that could ease the burden on the existing St. Mary Church in Barnegat which seats 500.
Underway since the new church opened, is a campaign to build a new parish center on the campus of the new church which will help centralize activities and religious education classes.
“He has worked with everyone and brought us so far,” Duffy said.
Of his other attributes, Duffy called him “down to earth and caring. He’s one of the most caring people I’ve met in my 74 years. I just lost my wife and he has been so supportive to the family. He is very much involved with all the ministries in the parish. He is there for whoever needs him.”
Msgr. Tuzeneu’s father, Walter, said that such praise for his son “did my heart good. The whole day did my heart good. The spirit that was there when he took me to see the new church under construction was there again on this day…it was that sense of when two or three are gathered in my name…that kind of feeling.
“You could sense that no one person built the church – it was cooperation and working hard on so many levels. It was a beautiful thing. I was so pleased that all of my children were present and sharing their love of their brother and their talents. All my children were there and you know how good that is. You just enjoy every minute of it.”
Lois Rogers can be reached at [email protected].
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MANAHAWKIN – When St. Mary of the Pines Church was rising on the landscape of this southern Ocean County town a couple of years back, its pastor and his flock checked the progress daily and sometimes more than daily.
What drew them time and again to the construction site was the sense that this was so much more than a structure going up, it was, as they put it, “a family building a house.”
And it was as a family that they gathered Dec. 27 at St. Mary of the Pines as Bishop John M. Smith formally conferred papal honors on Msgr. Kenard J. Tuzeneu.
The church, which seats 1,000, was filled to capacity as Msgr.Tuzeneu was recognized for his dedication, prayerfulness and service as a “true messenger of God,” by Bishop Smith.
Msgr. Tuzeneu, known for his self-effacing demeanor, called it a “great day,” one warmed by the presence of family and friends. “There were a lot of people. All of my immediate family members were there. It was a wonderful day.”
It was a day never really anticipated, the new monsignor said. “I wasn’t really expecting this great honor,” he said. “The bishop mentioned something like this might happen at the dedication of the church but I thought he was half-joking.”
Parishioners and family members, however, weren’t surprised. The honor, they said, is so very well deserved.
“The bishop’s tribute to Msgr. Tuzeneu was right on target,” said Fred Duffy, who co-chaired the building committee for the new church and chairs the building committee for a new parish center on the same campus.
“He described monsignor as a true messenger of God and that’s how I see him. I was thrilled for him.”
Duffy praised Msgr. Tuzeneu for his ability to meet the needs of the parish which has grown to include 7,000 families. “There is a lot of building in this area,” said Duffy who lives in Fawn Lakes, one of many adult communities that have sprung up in southern Ocean County over the last two decades.
“There is tremendous growth in all populations,” he said. “Masses are filled. If we didn’t have him to lead us, I don’t know where we would be.”
Msgr. Tuzeneu became pastor in 1992 before the building boom burst into full bloom. Since then, he has worked actively to expand the facilities, beginning first with All Saints Regional School and then with a building campaign for a church that could ease the burden on the existing St. Mary Church in Barnegat which seats 500.
Underway since the new church opened, is a campaign to build a new parish center on the campus of the new church which will help centralize activities and religious education classes.
“He has worked with everyone and brought us so far,” Duffy said.
Of his other attributes, Duffy called him “down to earth and caring. He’s one of the most caring people I’ve met in my 74 years. I just lost my wife and he has been so supportive to the family. He is very much involved with all the ministries in the parish. He is there for whoever needs him.”
Msgr. Tuzeneu’s father, Walter, said that such praise for his son “did my heart good. The whole day did my heart good. The spirit that was there when he took me to see the new church under construction was there again on this day…it was that sense of when two or three are gathered in my name…that kind of feeling.
“You could sense that no one person built the church – it was cooperation and working hard on so many levels. It was a beautiful thing. I was so pleased that all of my children were present and sharing their love of their brother and their talents. All my children were there and you know how good that is. You just enjoy every minute of it.”
Lois Rogers can be reached at [email protected].
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