The decade milestone, which had as its theme “Remember – Celebrate – Rejoice,” began with a Mass of Thanksgiving offered by Father Pfleger, who has served as pastor since the parish’s founding in 1996.  The celebration also included an outdoor “ceremonial burning” of a parish loan that “we can now put to bed,” the dedication of a newly erected Memorial Brick garden, and a luncheon during which parishioners enjoyed socializing and sharing memories of the past 10 years.

Father Pfleger smiled as he recounted highlights of St. Isaac Jogues’16-year history, especially in how the parish was established by Bishop John C. Reiss in 1996 in response to the rapid population growth in the Southern Burlington County towns of Marlton, Mount Laurel and Medford. Once St. Isaac Jogues Parish was established, all attention then focused on building the new church, which took six years to complete.

“And, quite a six years it was,” Father Pfleger said, as he remembered how Masses were celebrated each week in “our temporary house of worship” – the auditorium of a nearby middle school. He chuckled when he thought of the hours that went in to preparing for the Mass, especially the host of volunteers needed to set up and take down the folding chairs every Sunday.

Father Pfleger said the six years were well worth the wait until that “glorious day” in October, 2002, when Bishop John M. Smith, dedicated the new St. Isaac Jogues Church.

When discussing the church’s design, a European basilica architectural style, Father Pfleger said that although it is more traditional than many of the churches built in the past 60 years, it still contains the latest state-of-the-art electronics and lighting. The building is more than 28,500 square feet and includes a main church with a capacity of close to 1,500, a Daily Mass Chapel with a capacity of 290, a Blessed Sacrament Chapel, a gathering space, two Reconciliation chapels and various storage rooms, preparation and work offices. One significant element very important to the building’s construction was having the Blessed Sacrament Chapel placed directly under the church steeple.

Another milestone that gave the parish community cause to rejoice occurred in February, 2010, when Bishop Smith dedicated the parish’s new Holy Family Catechetical Center.  The 12,600 square-foot facility includes 10 classroom-style meeting rooms, kitchen facilities and a large, 3,700 square-foot area for social activities. Before the catechetical center was built, the various parish ministries and organizations, which number about 30, had to share whatever space they could find in the church complex.

Father Pfleger said he and his parishioners, numbering close to 2,400 families, are filled with much gratitude as they reflect on the past 10 years since their church was dedicated. The community delighted in watching Father Pfleger “burn” the parish loan. They enjoyed seeing him bless the Memorial Brick Garden located outside in front of the chapel, where parishioners can prayerfully remember their loved ones.

Looking to the future, Father Pfleger said there is still more work to be done to create the type of parish community he envisons. He divulged that a future major project will involve the construction of an actual parish hall for social functions. The space that is used now in the catechetical center for such activities will eventually be turned into parish offices and meeting rooms.

Father Pfleger admitted that the past 16 years have been “very interesting to say the least.”

“Sixteen years ago, we started a brand new parish community from scratch, and in that time, we put up a church, a house of God,” he said. 

“And while putting up a building is very important to any parish community, the celebration we’re having today – the 10th anniversary of when our church was dedicated – is not just about celebrating the start of a new parish or building a new church,” he said. “It’s about realizing how much we have accomplished and how solidified we have become as a parish.”

“The real joy has been in seeing the dedication of the people and growing into the community that we were called to be and that’s the community of St. Isaac Jogues,” said Father Pfleger.