St. Justin Parish is dreaming big for its anniversary
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
The spotlight will shine on St. Justin the Martyr Parish, Toms River, when it hosts its first spaghetti dinner and show Jan. 5, featuring the talents of Daydreamer Productions, a group of talented teens and young adults voted ‘Best of the Best” by the Asbury Park Readers Choice awards last year.
The event, which is part of the parish’s 40th anniversary, will include Broadway and Disney tunes.
Daydreamer Productions is a community theatre company based in Monmouth and Ocean Counties that gives youth a chance to pursue their dreams in the performing arts, or just have fun, according to the company’s website, www.daydreamerproductions.webs.com.
Founded in 2011 by teenager Nicholas Wainwright, Daydreamer Productions presents quality revivals of popular musicals and sometimes puts twists on classic fairytale masterpieces such as Cinderella.
Carol Lewandowski, a facilitator of the dinner and show, said a number of teens from the parish’s 20-member youth group will help host the event, and the Holy Name Society will help out with the cooking.
The parish youth group meets on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, and perform a variety of community service activities such as helping out the St. Vincent de Paul Society and stocking food pantries.
The dinner and show on Jan. 5 will be a different venture altogether for the youth group and the parish, however.
Youth group member Monica Henry, who is also a singer for Daydreamer Productions, came up with the idea for the event.
“We were having our car wash fundraiser in July and Monica said her group can come and have a show for free, because they want to be more well-known,” Lewandowski said. “Monica herself has an amazing voice.”
In celebration of the parish’s 40th anniversary, parishioners have participated in a variety of other events including attending a BlueClaws game in Lakewood earlier this year, and putting together an “anniversary cookbook” with their own recipes. Also, Father Mark Kreder, pastor, celebrated an anniversary Mass June 1, the feast of St. Justin the Martyr, and the parish had a party afterwards, Lewandowski shared.
“It’s really a very loving community,” she said of her parish. “Our present pastor has done a lot to contribute to that atmosphere to bring all of the different parish groups together.
“I hope that (the dinner and show) will be a joyful event for the whole parish, a fun family event, something we can all look forward to, especially with all this area has been through with the hurricane. It’s a chance to appreciate our parish as a family. That’s the main thing.”
All are invited. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children with children under seven admitted for free. Walk-ins at the same price are accepted.
For tickets contact Deacon Frank Ebanau, 732-270-3980; Carol Lewandowski, 732-552-4829; Angela Hencke, 732-506-0439 or Laurie Ebanau, 732-267-2412.
[[In-content Ad]]Related Stories
Sunday, December 21, 2025
E-Editions
Events
The spotlight will shine on St. Justin the Martyr Parish, Toms River, when it hosts its first spaghetti dinner and show Jan. 5, featuring the talents of Daydreamer Productions, a group of talented teens and young adults voted ‘Best of the Best” by the Asbury Park Readers Choice awards last year.
The event, which is part of the parish’s 40th anniversary, will include Broadway and Disney tunes.
Daydreamer Productions is a community theatre company based in Monmouth and Ocean Counties that gives youth a chance to pursue their dreams in the performing arts, or just have fun, according to the company’s website, www.daydreamerproductions.webs.com.
Founded in 2011 by teenager Nicholas Wainwright, Daydreamer Productions presents quality revivals of popular musicals and sometimes puts twists on classic fairytale masterpieces such as Cinderella.
Carol Lewandowski, a facilitator of the dinner and show, said a number of teens from the parish’s 20-member youth group will help host the event, and the Holy Name Society will help out with the cooking.
The parish youth group meets on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, and perform a variety of community service activities such as helping out the St. Vincent de Paul Society and stocking food pantries.
The dinner and show on Jan. 5 will be a different venture altogether for the youth group and the parish, however.
Youth group member Monica Henry, who is also a singer for Daydreamer Productions, came up with the idea for the event.
“We were having our car wash fundraiser in July and Monica said her group can come and have a show for free, because they want to be more well-known,” Lewandowski said. “Monica herself has an amazing voice.”
In celebration of the parish’s 40th anniversary, parishioners have participated in a variety of other events including attending a BlueClaws game in Lakewood earlier this year, and putting together an “anniversary cookbook” with their own recipes. Also, Father Mark Kreder, pastor, celebrated an anniversary Mass June 1, the feast of St. Justin the Martyr, and the parish had a party afterwards, Lewandowski shared.
“It’s really a very loving community,” she said of her parish. “Our present pastor has done a lot to contribute to that atmosphere to bring all of the different parish groups together.
“I hope that (the dinner and show) will be a joyful event for the whole parish, a fun family event, something we can all look forward to, especially with all this area has been through with the hurricane. It’s a chance to appreciate our parish as a family. That’s the main thing.”
All are invited. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children with children under seven admitted for free. Walk-ins at the same price are accepted.
For tickets contact Deacon Frank Ebanau, 732-270-3980; Carol Lewandowski, 732-552-4829; Angela Hencke, 732-506-0439 or Laurie Ebanau, 732-267-2412.
[[In-content Ad]]