The Council has been formed to be a group whose primary purpose is to lead, inspire, and guide the parish community to achieve its pastoral mission. It is concerned with the entire scope of the parish's life and functioning, both in matters spiritual and temporal. The Council has been charged with an obligation to exercise the diverse functions of leadership, assess parish needs, represent the concerns of the parish community, and determine pastoral priorities.
The functions of the Council are:
1. To assess the pastoral needs of the parish and to determine pastoral priorities
2. To support and coordinate the programs and activities of all parish organizations
3. To formulate goals and objectives for the Parish
4. To develop strategies and programs in service to the stated goals and objectives
5. To evaluate annually the effectiveness of those goals and programs
6. To consider and adopt the Parish budget
7. To encourage members of the Parish Community to offer their gifts and talents
in service to the mission of the Parish, the Diocese, and the Universal Catholic
Church
The Council is composed of three Ex-Officio Members (Pastor, 2 Trustees) and nine or more members. The members shall be elected by the Parish at large for a term of three years or shall be appointed by the Council, and serve until their successors are elected or appointed.
Elections will take place in October each year.
Meetings are held bi-monthly, usually on the second Thursday of the month.
Attendance at meetings by members of the Council is mandatory.
Parishoners are always welcome at the meetings and are encouraged to attend.
The Parish Council is made up of several working committees. Each committee
is chaired by a member of the Council and should have members of the Parish
represented on each committee.
CCD, Summer Bible School, and Scholarships all fall under this committee's supervision and coordination
This committee reaches out to the high school youth of our Parish. CYO, Youth Ministry, attendance at Diocesan youth gatherings, and an Annual Fishing trip, are among the responsibilities of this group.
Through the CYO, we provide a place and a means for the youth of the Parish to meet both socially and religiously. The main purpose is to bring our young people to the full active Christian life by assisting them to become active participants in all phases of Parish life.
Meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month from September to May. All high school youth are encouraged to join.
This committee also sponsors our CYO basketball team.
The Social Concerns Committee of St. Elizabeth's is a standing committee of the Parish Council. This committee exists to support Parish organizations in servicing the Parish community as well as develop any necessary programs needed for the Parish. Education to social issues pressing both our Parish and community is a part of this committee. Respect Life, Bereavement and Financial difficulty are some of the issues the committee works to address. Volunteers are needed for the different programs. Meetings are held on a bi-monthly basis, alternate to Parish Council Meetings. This committee sponsors FOOD SUNDAY, theTHIRD Sunday of the month. Members and their families collect food and donations outside the Church after all Masses.
This committee of the Parish Council is basically responsible for the social events and for managing our fundraising efforts in the Parish
In April or May, we have our annual cocktail party, "An Evening By The Sea," which is usually held at the Belmar Fishing Club.
In August we have our annual Parish dinner/dance which is held at the Barclay in Belmar.
In September, on the first Sunday after Labor Day, we have our annual Parish Picnic at the Boardwalk Pavilion in Avon. The day includes an afternoon Mass and delicious dinner buffet.
Volunteers are always needed to help in the planning and implementation of these social affairs.
ANY PARISHONER INTERESTED IN BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE PARISH COUNCIL
SHOULD CONTACT EITHER THE PASTOR , THE PRESIDENT OR ANY MEMBER OF THE PARISH
COUNCIL.
Primary Goal:
The salvation of souls. (Loving God and being an example to bring others to
his love.)
Through meeting as a community of men who bear witness to their love of the
sacred name of Jesus Christ.
Secondary Goals:
Works of Mercy
Visitation of sick
Prayer for sick
Collect food
Deliver food
Church Assistance
Sacristy
Ushers
Eucharistic Ministers
Choir
Lectors
Community Activities
Right to Life
Attendance at wakes
Nocturnal Adoration
PROJECTS:
" Monthly bus trips to Atlantic City (except during Lent)
" Annual brunch - Palm Sunday
" Parish Picnic
MEETINGS:
The Fourth Thursday Of Each Month Except For November And December.
PROJECTS
- Promote devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary ,
- Purchase altar accessories
- Clean the beautiful Sanctuary
(volunteer teams of three members work every Friday after Mass-approximately
30 to 45 minutes )
ACTIVITIES
- Monthly meetings September to June* after the 1:00 p.m. Monday Mass, Msgr.
Mulligan Hall-Refreshments
- Afternoon Mini-Card Party-Spring
- Plant Sale/Donations for Special Project July weekend near holiday
- Fall Sunday Luncheon
MEETINGS:
Second Monday of September , then the First Monday of the month, October through
June:
Membership is open to women of the Parish, age 18 and above.
Dues: $5 per year payable to: St. Elizabeth Rosary Altar Society,
Court St. Elizabeth #1486
The Catholic Daughters of the Americas is the largest international Catholic
Women's Organization in the world. Headquarters are in New York City with Courts
throughout the Americas. The Catholic Daughters celebrated their 100th Anniversary
in 2003.
Court St. Elizabeth, #1486, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, was founded
in 1948 and currently has 130 active members from as far away as Florida.
The organization is a religious, social and fraternal one with a mission to
enhance the spiritual and social lives of its members while making significant
charitable contributions on the parish, local, state, national and international
levels.
Membership is open to all Catholic Women who are at least 18 years old.
MEETINGS are held the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in Msgr. Mulligan Hall from September through June. Attendance at meetings is encouraged, but not mandatory.
Participation as a member of one of the many Committees is expected of local members.
PROJECTS:
- On the fourth Friday of every month, a group of members visits a local Nursing
Home and conducts a Prayer service for residents.
- For Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Valentine's Day, members provide "treats"
for local Nursing Home residents.
- In December, the Court sponsors a Birthday Party for residents of a local
Nursing Home.
- Members make Rosaries to be sent to those who have none or who cannot afford
to buy them (during 2002, more than a thousand were made and sent). The Court
donates thousands of dollars to assorted International, National, State and
Local charities each year.
- We collect stamps for St Jude's Home, can tabs for Ronald McDonald House,
greeting card fronts, pennies (PENNIES FROM HEAVEN JARS in Church vestibules)
for assorted charities, attic treasures for resale during fundraiser in July.
- During Lent, the Court sponsors a Day of Recollection for members.
- The court awards 3 scholarships every year and conducts a poetry contest with
prizes for local students
Two fundraisers are held every year:
In July, a BOARDWALK BOUTIQUE, a fundraising "flea market" held in
the Pavilion on the Boardwalk
In October, a CARD PARTY/GIFT AUCTION is held in the Avon Municipal Building.
Socially:
- Tickets to the PNC Arts Center in the Spring and in the Fall
- Pot Luck Dinner in November,
- Christmas Party in December,
- Covered Dish Supper in March, and
Refreshments and mingling before and after each monthly meeting.
Each month, all members receive a Newsletter detailing activities of the local,
state, and national membership. Dues are $20/ year.
CCD Classes are held on Sundays from early September to mid-May in Avon Elementary School, 8:30-9:45 a.m. Registration is in late August in Father McMullin Hall after an announced Sunday 10:00 a.m. Mass, or by calling the Rectory.
A member of the committee visits the family of a deceased parishioner and offers the sympathy of the. parish. Help is offered; that is, house-sitting, shopping, preparing and serving food after the interment, etc. Msgr. Mulligan Hall also is made available to accommodate the family after the funeral should such space be needed.
Boxes are kept at Church entrances for parish donations of non-perishable items of food. Emergency requests for food are taken care of immediately. A number of less fortunate parish families are helped monthly. The third Sunday of every month is FOOD SUNDAY, sponsored by the Social Concerns Committee of the Parish Council.
St. Elizabeth has a group of dedicated young men and women who serve our priests at Mass and other Church liturgies. They range in age from third grade to high school. They faithfully staff Masses, prayer services, benedictions, special celebrations and weddings throughout the year.
Their responsibilities include arriving early to church to prepare the altar and themselves for each Mass. They serve the various priests individually as each priest has his own expectations. Afterwards they then stay to return, refill and ready the accouterments for the next service.
Training takes place yearly as new volunteers replace those who have begun
new responsibilities elsewhere. Each server must be third grade or older, they
must have received the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and they must be able to
display the reverence required to be on the altar. Monthly schedules are mailed
to each individual detailing assignments for the coming weeks. Anyone interested
in becoming an altar server is invited St. Elizabeth's Rectory.
Children's Choir:
Children must be able to read and sing in order to be members.
Sing at 10 a.m. Mass on Sundays, assist at other Parish functions along with
Adult Choir.
Practice: Sunday morning after the 10 o'clock Mass.
Adults' Choir:
Sing at 11:30 a.m. Mass and all other special Parish Liturgical Celebrations,
such as Christmas Eve, Holy Week, Parish Missions, etc.
Practice: After 11:30 mass (Mandatory)
The Musicians of St. Elizabeth's guitar group began playing together in 1998 because of their love of playing and desire to bring the music of contemporary Catholic songwriters to the Mass. The group currently consists of three guitarists who play and sing at the Saturday evening 5:30 mass. The group also plays for the 5:30 Christmas Eve Mass and has provided music for the Parish Picnic Mass at the Boardwalk Pavillion in Avon. Musicians and singers interested in joining are invited to attend the Saturday evening Mass and introduce themselves."
Vacation Bible School is conducted the first week of August each summer. Children from ages 3 to 13 are invited to attend. Our ministry is bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to young people through song, arts and crafts, skits and games. We proclaim the news of salvation in a joyful, fun atmosphere in hopes that the children will learn how much they are loved by God. Many volunteers are needed each year. Teachers, aides, musicians, teens and all others are welcome.
We are very blessed here at Saint Elizabeth's Parish to have a newly formed "children's" prayer group called Armata Bianca. Armata Bianca means "white army," which represents the "purity" of children's prayers. Armata Bianca is an international prayer movement that began twenty years ago at the urging of Padre Pio. Padre Pio was a most holy priest who bore the stigmata of the wounds of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Padre Pio would say, "The prayers of children will save the world!"
The heart of the Armata Bianca is to guide children to live the Fatima message
through recitation of the Holy Rosary and prayers of love and forgiveness to
The Most Holy Trinity. The group meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the church.
We are most fortunate to be able to recite our prayers during Exposition of
the Most Blessed Sacrament! The prayers take about ½ hour and Confession
is made available after each meeting. The Armata Bianca is open to all children
and parents both young and old, within our Parish Family as well as neighboring
Parishes.
To help in the celebration of Mass, the church has a special need for Parish members to actively participate as lay ministers during Mass as Ushers, Lectors, and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist.
Ushers are needed to greet their fellow Parish members as they enter the church and to see that they are seated properly. In addition, ushers are responsible for taking the collection, directing people during Communion, and providing church bulletins as church members leave Mass.
Lectors play an integral part at Mass by helping to proclaim the Word of God by presenting the readings and parish petitions during Mass.
Eucharistic Ministers take part in the Sacrifice of the Mass by assisting the priest in the distribution of Holy Communion. Eucharistic ministers may also bring Communion to the homes of the sick or aged members of the Parish.
Training for these lay ministries is necessary and is provided on an ongoing basis.
Parish members interested in volunteering their time and skills should call the rectory.