4300 families
 two complete chapel buildings about 5 miles apart
 a school (K-8)
 a college within the parish boundaries (Georgian Court University)
 a hospital (Kimball Medical Center)
 a cemetery
 about 10 nursing homes
 6 adult communities. 

I think that I was very fortunate to be placed in St. Mary's, Lakewood. First, it continues a trend that has been rather prevalent in my life (going to school at Immaculate Conception in Spotswood and then St. Mary's High School in South Amboy, marrying a person named Mary, attending Mount Saint Mary's Seminary, now working at St. Mary of the Lake: see the pattern there?)

Second, I think that I have been assigned as part of a great team of priests (4 of them - a very uncommon situation nowadays), including a new pastor (Fr. Michael O'Connor),  a newly-reassigned parochial vicar (Fr. John Chang, with whom I shared a year at "The Mount" back in 2000) and our resident expert priest (who, through his four years of being assigned here, knows what all the keys and light switches do, Fr. Bernardino Esguerra) as well as a very helpful pastoral staff and, of course, a friendly and welcoming community of parishioners.) Let me take you on a quick tour of my assignment. I thought that it might be best to split this up into two parts, so follow the links below for each church building: