St. John the Apostle’s Ministries, Organizations & Activities
Interested in a group, please contact the Rectory at 1-908-486-6363,
leave your name and number and the contact person will call you back.
For School related organizations please call 1-732-388-1360
This is a ministry open to boys and girls in the fifth grade or older, and men and women of all ages. It involves assisting the priest or deacon at the various liturgies of the church. These include Sunday or daily Mass, funerals, weddings, Exposition, Benediction, processions, Stations of the Cross, and other prayer services of the church. Training for this ministry occurs at different intervals throughout the year.
Adult Altar Servers Angie Pena
At each Funeral Mass, adults serve as a lector, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Altar Servers, in support of the priests and deacons, and provide consolation to the bereaving families and friends.
Bereavement Group Deacon Michael York & Ken Goldstein
Overwhelmed by the pain of grief and loss through the death of a loved one? St. John’s Bereavement Support Group will walk with you on your journey. Call Deacon Mike York at 732-388-1253 for meeting times (all calls are confidential)
Blood Bank Tom Dutkiewicz
To make sure blood is available for the needs of all St. John parishioners and their immediate family. There are two blood banks donation events per year.
Cenacle of Life Ann Conaty
Join us as we pray with our Blessed Mother to petition our Lord for the end of abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, artificial contraception, capital punishment, and assisted suicide. The Cenacle of Life is a prayer group that prays two rosaries (ten mysteries) offering the rosaries up with fasting. Each member fasts one day a week on bread and water, to end the culture of death in our state, our country and the world. Those that cannot fast on bread and water, due to sickness, age or circumstances, can offer up a day of fasting in the manner that they are able (i.e, from, such as watching television or talking on the telephone, etc). They offer up their fasts – at the prayer group – with the rosaries prayed. The group begins reciting “The prayer of offering” and concludes with “The consecration to the sorrowful and immaculate heart of Mary” Our Cenacle prayer group meets in the church every Thursday morning at 8:00 (before Mass) and prays one rosary (5 mysteries). Immediately following the 8:30 Mass, we pray another 5 mysteries of the rosary.
Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Bernie Buniak
Athletic Association
This is an organization whose goal is to bring opportunities for the children of Saint John’s Parish to participate in athletic team activities. Our objectives include instilling a cooperative team spirit while stressing the importance of sportsmanship and the ability to work with others.
CYO Emmaus Youth Group Deacon Michael York
A gathering of youth, young adult, and adults who meet on Sundays for the 7 PM Youth Liturgy and Tuesdays from 8 to 10 PM for community building activities that include: discussion, prayer, role play and social action
Religious Education (CCD) Deacon Michael York
The religious education program is for public school children from grades K through 8. Classes are held from September to May. Children must complete religious education grades 1 through 8 in order to give them a basic foundation upon which to build their lives as committed Roman Catholics.
Vacation Bible School (pre-K to grade 5) is available in the second week of July each year
Finance Council Fr. Mauro Primavera
The Church Finance Council is made up of interested parishioners who are responsible for drawing up and monitoring the Church budget. Monthly meetings are held. After quarterly reviews by an outside accountant they meet with the Pastor to evaluate and publish results via an annual report. Members are appointed by the pastor
Altar Ministry Coordinating & Scheduling: Carl Weilandics
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are lay men and women who assist the mission of the Church in bringing Holy Communion to the homebound, those in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospitals. Provisions are made for training so that persons may receive a mandate from the Archdiocese of Newark.
Lectors are lay men and women who proclaim sacred scripture and intercessory prayers at Mass on Sundays, holy days and weekdays. Provisions are made to provide training. Lectors and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion also function on special holiday liturgies, and participate in seasonal church decorating, periodic after-Mass fellowship socials and focused exercises of faith and act as greeters.
MilAve Devotion of America Carmen Garcon
We pray the Hail Mary 1000 times and conclude with the Divine Mercy Chaplet on the last Saturday of every month from 11am-3pm. Every language is welcome. We honor Our Lady’s apparitions on May 13 and October 13 with candle light processions. Please join us or email your prayer request to milavedevotion@verizon.net.
Please visit us our sites at www.milavedevotion.org and www.regnigratia.org
Ministers of Hospitality (Ushers)
This group of men and women greet and help seat parishioners at Masses. They also represent the guard of honor for the celebrating priest and are responsible for all Sunday and Holy Day collections.
Music Ministry Patricia Woolley, Director of Music Ministry/Organist, 
Adult Choir All singers H.S. age and older are welcome to join the Adult Choir so small choral groups can support singing at each Mass. The full choir will sing at special liturgies and solemnities, Christmas, Holy Week and Easter. For the Festive celebrations of Christmas & Easter instrumentalists are invited! The Adult Choir meets Tuesday evenings after the 7 p.m. Mass (7:30 to 9 p.m.) September thru early May.
Psalmists & Cantors Assist in leading the Acclamations, Psalms and hymns at Mass. Personal and group training is available so music can be learned proficiently and at an individual pace and musical level.
Children’s Choir All children of the parish family grade K – Jr. High, are invited to join the Children’s Choir, and attend either scheduled rehearsal: Monday 6:25 – 6:55 p.m.; or Tuesday 5:00 – 5:40 p.m. The Children’s Choir meets late September thru the end of April.
Neo-Catechumenal Way Fr. Mauro Primavera
Provides a catechesis or explanation of the Catholic faith to adults who wish to deepen and renew their faith. The catechesis is held two nights a week for a period of eight weeks. This is followed by a weekend retreat. After this, those who wish may meet as a small community once a week for the study of scriptures and once for liturgy.
Pastoral Council Barbara Malandro
Strongly recommended by Canon Law, a pastoral council collaborates with the Bishop and the Pastor, and all those pastorally associated with them to fulfill the total mission and ministry of the diocese and the parish.
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chantal Lamberti
Come and visit with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He is exposed 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. You may also sign up for a one-hour per week commitment; just call the rectory at 908-486-6363 or email 
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) Deacon Mike York
RCIA is for anyone discerning the Catholic faith and for those who are already Baptized Catholic, desiring First Communion and / or Confirmation. Contact Deacon Mike in the Religious Education Office to join RCIA or for more information / questions: 732-388-1253, myork@sjanj.net
Rosary Altar Society Rev Mauro Primavera, Fran Mekula
The society, open to female parishioners of all ages, meets on the first Monday (after the first Sunday) of each month throughout the year, after the 7 PM Mass, which includes the perpetual novena of the miraculous medal of our Blessed Mother Mary. The society also conducts an annual retreat, communion breakfast, May crowning, raffle, assembles rosary beads and supports many parish-wide functions and celebrations. The society also cares for and maintains the cleanliness and appearance of the altar, sacristy, liturgical vestments, altar cloths and sacred accoutrements, which includes the creation of hand-made baptismal garments.
Saint Vincent DePaul Society & Saint John’s Food Pantry Jim Finnegan
The Society is funded through the offering boxes in the church, and other direct donations. All monies collected go to those of our parish family who have fallen on difficult times and depending upon resources, size of family, and any other extenuating circumstances. We issue gift certificates to local supermarkets. This society also operates the Parish Food Pantry, to which our parishioners donate non-perishable food. The Thanksgiving Food Drive also helps inner-city Catholic Church pantries, but only after our parish’s needs are met. Clients are known ONLY to the members of our Society.
Saint John the Apostle’s Social Concerns Committee Johanna Desiderio
The goal of the Social Concerns Committee is to respond to the needs of the people of our community. Some of this is done by visiting the sick, taking elderly or handicapped people to Sunday Mass, transporting people for doctor or hospital appointments, helping with food shopping or other such services. Other activities include:
Fruit Baskets: At Thanksgiving our committee makes and delivers fruit baskets to our shut-ins.
Giving Tree: During Advent, a Giving Tree is set-up in the sanctuary. Parishioners bring gifts, which are sorted and delivered to needy families and charitable groups.
Meal for St. Joseph’s, Elizabeth: On the fifth Saturday of each month, a large group of volunteers prepare and take food to St. Joseph’s in Elizabeth where they serve a hearty meal to more than two hundred homeless.
Sandwich Program for St. John’s in Newark: Every Tuesday, a small group of volunteers meet and make thirty loaves of sandwiches which are taken to Newark, where they are distributed to lines of people who come in need of food.
St. John the Apostle School Alumni Association President Joanne Seebode
The Alumni association serves current students, past graduates, faculty, staff, parents and friends of St. John the Apostle School. Our goals include keeping in touch with one another as well as updating alumni with the latest activities, challenges and goals of St. John the Apostle School. We hope to assist past graduates renew friendships, offer networking opportunities with one another and aid students through scholarships and enrichment programs. We meet several times a year and information and meeting dates can be found by clicking on the Alumni Link on the School Website see: http://www.sjanj.org/sjac/ALUMNI/
Scouting
Boy Scouts of America Troup 330 Matt Dohn Patrick Pecoraro Cub Scouts Brian MacArthur It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping to instill values in young people and, in other ways, to prepare them to make good ethical choices during their lifetime to achieve their full potential. The values we strive to instill are based on those found in the Scout Oath and Law. Boy scouting is available to young men from sixth grade, age 10 to 18. Cub Scouts/Tiger Scouts are for ages from first grade (age 7) through fifth grade (age 11). Troup 330 has achieved 100 Eagle Scouts since its beginning.
Girl Scouts Alyson Daikalo. Girls’ Scouts is an organization for girls from kindergarten through high school. At St. John’s we have troops at all levels. The girls do activities that teach life skills and expose them to many different areas of interest that enrich them as they grow. The object is to have fun while learning. Groups include: Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassadors.