Part of the Family: Shore parishes offer wide welcome to summer visitors
July 21, 2025 at 9:34 a.m.
In the same way that a family prepares for the annual visit of a beloved relative, parish communities that dot the New Jersey shoreline in the Diocese of Trenton look forward each year to the arrival of Catholic visitors to the region.
Vacation statistics report that as many as 120 million individuals have come to the Jersey Shore in recent summers – many from New York, Pennsylvania and other areas of New Jersey, but also drawing from around the nation and other countries. Catholics who actively practice their faith are only a small percentage of those visitors, but still represent increases for any given shore parish of hundreds or thousands.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Seaside Heights, part of St. Junipero Serra Parish, Seaside Park, is filled with faithful during a previous summer Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2023. This shoreline sees a vast increase in attendance during the summer. File photo“It is always a joy to see them,” stated Msgr. Edward Arnister, pastor of St. Rose Parish, Belmar, about summer parishioners who join the year-round community at weekend and daily Masses.
St. Rose is intentional about hosting events that will connect with visiting parishioners, Msgr. Arnister said. “We invite them to our movie nights, our Bible study and the parish picnic in August.”
For Father William Lago, pastor of St. Denis Parish, Manasquan, part of engaging area newcomers and returning residents is to base pastoral outreach on the summer experience itself.
He explained that in his early years at St. Denis, a pastoral associate suggested that the parish have a weekend at the beginning of the summer, which came to be coined the “Beach Reach.” A special prayer was recited by the community at Mass in late June each year before the final blessing.
“Beach Reach” continues today, and the parish uses it as a way to highlight Our Lady Star of the Sea Beach Chapel, located just a stone’s throw away from the water’s edge. Father Lago noted that summertime visitors have raised the number of chapel Mass attendees from 200 to 400 each weekend from late June through August. Daily Mass also sees greater numbers.
He also emphasized, “Visitors are invited to our summer programs. For several, it is their second parish so they are known to us and come to our summer events. We also have a special Mass in the beach chapel for the Feast of the Assumption and go down to the beach for the blessing of the water. It is very well attended by people from here and throughout the area.”
The Catholic community in nearby Seaside Park reports a similar positive experience with summer parishioners. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Seaside Heights, and St. Catharine of Siena Church, Seaside Park, which make up St. Junipero Serra Parish, enjoy welcoming vacationers during the summer.
Conventual Franciscan Father Michael Gerard Lorentsen, pastor, reports, “Our Sunday Mass attendance almost doubles in each of our two churches. In the first weekend in July, all four English Mases were full. This will continue until the end of August, when college and university students return to school.”
He has also seen increases in daily Mass, with some weekdays drawing more attendance than others.
The pastor was happy to report other areas of higher volume for the parish. He said, “More people come for the Sacrament of Reconciliation with individual Confession, so the allotted one hour turns into 90 minutes or even two hours sometimes.”
He noted that the parish Bible study also brings out more people in the summer.
The parish’s efforts to welcome and serve have not gone unnoticed.
Summer parishioners also contribute to the community, Father Lorentsen said. “A number of (them) contribute to the Annual Catholic Appeal and our Missionary Cooperative Collection. We are repairing a church roof and need a new HVAC system in one of our churches. Summer parishioners and guests have been contributing to these projects as we move forward.”
He added, “We have had a few young parents visiting who thank us for creating ‘such a welcoming environment’ for small children at Mass.”
The flier created to publicize the Summer Movie Nights taking place in St. Rose Parish, Belmar. Held in the parish center, the Movie Nights are offered in place of Bible Study sessions during the month of July.Mary Stadnyk, associate editor, contributed to this story.
‘Beach Reach’ blessing prayed in St. Denis Parish, Manasquan
Let us hear from Psalm 95:
Come Let us sing to the Lord, and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us. Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord. The Lord is God the mighty God, the great king over all the gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the highest mountains as well. He made the sea; it belongs to Him, the dry land, too, for it was formed by His hands.
Let us Pray:
Almighty God we give you thanks and we praise you for the beauty of our Jersey shore. We pray for your blessings this day. May your gracious blessings crown our summer season: bless all who, live here, travel here, work here and recreate and relax here. As we use your gift of Holy Water to bless – we pray for the safety of all who will enjoy the waters of the Atlantic ocean.
Bless our surfboards – that those who use them to harness the power of the waves may give you glory.
Bless our boats and kayaks and skidoos– that those who pilot them for work or recreation may have fair winds and following seas and safely reach harbor.
Bless our fishing poles – that we may respectfully fish the bounty of the seas and rejoice in your creation.
Bless wake boards, paddle boards, and all other manner of watersport equipment – that we may joyfully and safely be refreshed by time with the water.
Bless our beach chairs and beach badges and all other manner of beach equipment – that we may be renewed with inner peace as we sit beside the huge ocean that calls to mind your immense love for us.
Bless our summer time, whether alone or with family and friends, may we look out for one another and bid well to one another and enjoy the time that you give us at the Jersey Shore.
May we give you glory God by using all of these things rightly and respectfully, and we get the most out of or summer by remembering and thanking you, God and Gracious God, the author of all that is good and the creator of our beautiful Jersey Shore.
And may the blessings of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, come upon you and remain with you forever. Amen.
July In Focus: Season of Faith
Friday, December 05, 2025
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Events
In the same way that a family prepares for the annual visit of a beloved relative, parish communities that dot the New Jersey shoreline in the Diocese of Trenton look forward each year to the arrival of Catholic visitors to the region.
Vacation statistics report that as many as 120 million individuals have come to the Jersey Shore in recent summers – many from New York, Pennsylvania and other areas of New Jersey, but also drawing from around the nation and other countries. Catholics who actively practice their faith are only a small percentage of those visitors, but still represent increases for any given shore parish of hundreds or thousands.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Seaside Heights, part of St. Junipero Serra Parish, Seaside Park, is filled with faithful during a previous summer Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 2023. This shoreline sees a vast increase in attendance during the summer. File photo“It is always a joy to see them,” stated Msgr. Edward Arnister, pastor of St. Rose Parish, Belmar, about summer parishioners who join the year-round community at weekend and daily Masses.
St. Rose is intentional about hosting events that will connect with visiting parishioners, Msgr. Arnister said. “We invite them to our movie nights, our Bible study and the parish picnic in August.”
For Father William Lago, pastor of St. Denis Parish, Manasquan, part of engaging area newcomers and returning residents is to base pastoral outreach on the summer experience itself.
He explained that in his early years at St. Denis, a pastoral associate suggested that the parish have a weekend at the beginning of the summer, which came to be coined the “Beach Reach.” A special prayer was recited by the community at Mass in late June each year before the final blessing.
“Beach Reach” continues today, and the parish uses it as a way to highlight Our Lady Star of the Sea Beach Chapel, located just a stone’s throw away from the water’s edge. Father Lago noted that summertime visitors have raised the number of chapel Mass attendees from 200 to 400 each weekend from late June through August. Daily Mass also sees greater numbers.
He also emphasized, “Visitors are invited to our summer programs. For several, it is their second parish so they are known to us and come to our summer events. We also have a special Mass in the beach chapel for the Feast of the Assumption and go down to the beach for the blessing of the water. It is very well attended by people from here and throughout the area.”
The Catholic community in nearby Seaside Park reports a similar positive experience with summer parishioners. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Seaside Heights, and St. Catharine of Siena Church, Seaside Park, which make up St. Junipero Serra Parish, enjoy welcoming vacationers during the summer.
Conventual Franciscan Father Michael Gerard Lorentsen, pastor, reports, “Our Sunday Mass attendance almost doubles in each of our two churches. In the first weekend in July, all four English Mases were full. This will continue until the end of August, when college and university students return to school.”
He has also seen increases in daily Mass, with some weekdays drawing more attendance than others.
The pastor was happy to report other areas of higher volume for the parish. He said, “More people come for the Sacrament of Reconciliation with individual Confession, so the allotted one hour turns into 90 minutes or even two hours sometimes.”
He noted that the parish Bible study also brings out more people in the summer.
The parish’s efforts to welcome and serve have not gone unnoticed.
Summer parishioners also contribute to the community, Father Lorentsen said. “A number of (them) contribute to the Annual Catholic Appeal and our Missionary Cooperative Collection. We are repairing a church roof and need a new HVAC system in one of our churches. Summer parishioners and guests have been contributing to these projects as we move forward.”
He added, “We have had a few young parents visiting who thank us for creating ‘such a welcoming environment’ for small children at Mass.”
The flier created to publicize the Summer Movie Nights taking place in St. Rose Parish, Belmar. Held in the parish center, the Movie Nights are offered in place of Bible Study sessions during the month of July.Mary Stadnyk, associate editor, contributed to this story.
‘Beach Reach’ blessing prayed in St. Denis Parish, Manasquan
Let us hear from Psalm 95:
Come Let us sing to the Lord, and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us. Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord. The Lord is God the mighty God, the great king over all the gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the highest mountains as well. He made the sea; it belongs to Him, the dry land, too, for it was formed by His hands.
Let us Pray:
Almighty God we give you thanks and we praise you for the beauty of our Jersey shore. We pray for your blessings this day. May your gracious blessings crown our summer season: bless all who, live here, travel here, work here and recreate and relax here. As we use your gift of Holy Water to bless – we pray for the safety of all who will enjoy the waters of the Atlantic ocean.
Bless our surfboards – that those who use them to harness the power of the waves may give you glory.
Bless our boats and kayaks and skidoos– that those who pilot them for work or recreation may have fair winds and following seas and safely reach harbor.
Bless our fishing poles – that we may respectfully fish the bounty of the seas and rejoice in your creation.
Bless wake boards, paddle boards, and all other manner of watersport equipment – that we may joyfully and safely be refreshed by time with the water.
Bless our beach chairs and beach badges and all other manner of beach equipment – that we may be renewed with inner peace as we sit beside the huge ocean that calls to mind your immense love for us.
Bless our summer time, whether alone or with family and friends, may we look out for one another and bid well to one another and enjoy the time that you give us at the Jersey Shore.
May we give you glory God by using all of these things rightly and respectfully, and we get the most out of or summer by remembering and thanking you, God and Gracious God, the author of all that is good and the creator of our beautiful Jersey Shore.
And may the blessings of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, come upon you and remain with you forever. Amen.