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
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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.
Holy Orders
Priest Praying Over Communion — Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: “Those who receive the sacrament of Holy Orders — as a deacon, priest or bishop — are consecrated in Christ’s name ‘to feed the Church by the word and grace of God.’”
Celebrating Sacraments, from Saint Mary’s Press, states that “Holy Orders, like Matrimony, is a sacrament at the service of Communion. Through Holy Orders, men called by God are consecrated to do a particular kind of service in Christ’s name — that of leading and nourishing the Body of Christ with the word of God and the grace of the sacraments.”
The are three types of orders in this ministry, according to Celebrating Sacraments: the episcopate (order of bishops), the presbyterate (order of priests) and the diaconate (order of deacons).
Contact the Rev. Dominic Ciriaco, pastor of St. Mary’s, at 201-384-0557 for more information.