For The Dialog
BERLIN, Md. – Parishioners at St. John Neumann Parish will celebrate the 10th anniversary of becoming a parish in ways that the parish patron could appreciate.
Next March, a pilgrimage is planned to the Shrine of St. John Neumann in Philadelphia, where the fourth bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is entombed, said Father Joseph Cocucci, pastor of the Worcester County parish. And next June, the parish will conduct a 40 Hours Devotion June 18-20.
Bishop John Neumann established a schedule for the 40 Hours Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and started the Catholic school system in the Philadelphia diocese. His namesake parish has eucharistic devotion, after the 8:30 a.m. Mass every Friday, and has the most students, 99, of the eight parishes that sponsor Most Blessed Sacrament School, which abuts the parish property. Its religious education program for children has 95 children and 20 catechists.
The yearlong 10th anniversary observance begins Oct. 7 with a social that will feature art by a number of parishioners at Most Blessed Sacrament. The celebration will end Oct. 7, 2017, with a Mass of Thanksgiving at the church, followed by dinner at the Clarion Hotel in Ocean City, Md.
St. John Neumann Church was established in 1992 as a mission of St. Luke Parish in Ocean City to meet the needs of Catholics on the western side of Assawoman and Isle of Wight bays. In 2006, when St. Luke-St. Andrew had mushroomed to 2,500 families (400 percent more than when it became a parish in 1985), it was decided to elevate St. John Neumann to parish status. The parish was officially established on Oct. 7, 2007, with 1,572 registered households.
St. John Neumann now has 1,684 registered households. Father Cocucci said a census will be conducted in January.
“It’s an older demographic in general,” Father Cocucci said, though it also has a population of young families as seen by the number of students at Most Blessed Sacrament and in the parish’s religious education program. He described parishioners as people who “love to serve and love to learn. They’re interested in their faith and they’re willing to help meet the needs of the less fortunate.”
Among St. John Neumann’s ministries are the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which serves those in dire immediate circumstances; a Widowed Support Group, and Supporting Hands, through which volunteers visit and help homebound parishioners, and sometimes provide respite for caregivers. Many parishioners volunteer with Diakonia, a nonprofit supported by many churches and other organizations and agencies that helps the homeless and operates a food pantry.
Spiritual programs beyond such liturgical ministries as altar servers, lectors and eucharistic ministers, include a Divine Mercy devotion group, Lay Carmelites and eucharistic devotion.
Mark Record, who heads the parish council and also is principal of Most Blessed Sacrament, described St. John Neumann as “a vibrant faith community in which one feels welcomed and valued regardless if one is a weekend visitor or a year-round resident.” He was a member of St. Luke Parish who chose to become a parishioner at St. John Neumann when it became a parish.
Despite having only one priest, the parish offers a “full schedule” of liturgies for worship and sacramental life, he said, naming Father Cocucci as one of the parish’s strengths. “He holds a clear vision for the direction and the growth of the parish.”
Father Cocucci’s goal to meet the needs and desires of parishioners became evident soon after he became pastor in 2012. He noticed a group that participated in eucharistic devotion, then held on First Fridays. When they said they would like to have eucharistic adoration more often, Father Cocucci scheduled the devotion after the 8:30 a.m. Mass every Friday.
Other strengths cited by Record are the participation of young people in liturgical ministries, including a children’s choir; the generosity of parishioners, and its large tract of land that is sufficient for future expansion.
The religious-education program led by Nancy Groves is “highly effective and well-organized,” Record said. Most Blessed Sacrament School and the religious-ed program “support and assist one another,” especially in sacramental preparation, Record said.
The program also offers adult faith formation programs, including occasional Bible study with Father Cocucci and series such as one on the Mystery of God, Groves said. “The response is good as long as the dates and times don’t mess with [parishioners’] schedules.”
St. John Neumann also is willing to try different programs for various segments of its population. Groves recalled that several years ago the parish used a marriage enrichment program called Eight Great Dates, which included a candlelight meal in the Most Blessed Sacrament cafeteria, a presentation, and time for couples to go beyond talking about their children or bills to discuss their relationship.
Annual events include a Lenten mission and a women’s retreat. There will be no parish mission this year in light of the 40 Hours Devotion in June. The women’s retreat will be Jan. 27-29.
A highlight of the year for Father Cocucci is the pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. John Neumann.
“I’m a Philadelphian; for me to be in a parish where St. John Neumann is the patron, that’s incredible,” he said. “To celebrate Mass for my parishioners on the altar where his body rests, that means so much to me.”
