Category Archives: About Our Parish
St. Mary’s Church blesses new portrait of NJ Sister of Charity
Photo by John Soltes
DUMONT — On Sunday, April 29, St. Mary’s Church in Dumont celebrated the blessing of a newly commissioned painting of Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, a Bayonne native who is a candidate for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church. The Rev. Dominic Ciriaco, pastor of St. Mary’s, blessed the painting during the noon Mass before a congregation that included Juan Pablo Esteban, the artist who painted Demjanovich’s likeness. The portrait will hang in the vestibule area of St. Mary’s Church.
Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
Volunteers from St. Mary’s at Habitat for Humanity
St. Mary’s travels to Paterson, N.J., on a regular basis to help build homes with Habitat for Humanity. No special skills are necessary, but all volunteers need to be at least 16 years old.
Typically, the day begins at 7 a.m. in St. Mary’s parking lot where John Soltes, coordinator of the service project, organizes a carpool. After a prayer with all of the volunteers, the carpool heads for the Habitat office in Paterson. Volunteers are asked to wear comfortable clothes that can get dirty (jeans and layers are the best).
Volunteers will have to sign waiver forms, and all helpers aged 16 or 17 will need parental guidance. After meeting other volunteer groups at Habitat’s office, it’s off to the homes-in-progress. All workers should bring a lunch, but water will be supplied throughout the day.
The length of the day varies, but typically it runs anywhere from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information on Habitat for Humanity in Paterson, click here. To schedule volunteer time, call 201-384-0557 for more information.
History of St. Mary’s
“She who bore the Christ in her womb was raised body and soul in glory to be with him in heaven. May we follow her example in reflecting your holiness.”
— Opening prayer for the Feast of the Assumption
•••
St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church has been an inspiring and steady presence in the lives of local residents for more than 50 years. Its shadow-casting steeple towers high into the air and can be seen from several vantage points in the area. Its dignified Colonial architecture provides an image of stateliness in the borough of Dumont, New Jersey. It beckons parishioners into its sanctuary, offering an opportunity to grow closer to God.
This building, located a few feet from the bustling traffic of Washington Avenue for half a century, is not just an assemblage of red bricks, stained glass, and Indiana limestone. It has become a spiritual home for the countless Catholics who have stepped through its welcoming doors. Its future looks as bright and rich as its past.