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Relocating family of 6 to central Jersey. Will be working in Matawan and am willing to drive for my daily commute so I think I have a fairly large radius of areas to consider. Currently commute 125 miles, 2 hours, each way to work, so I'm certain this will be shorter.
My questions as to where to focus, where to start searching and what to look further into.
Looking for an active parish. (This can mean different things to different people)
Our current parish has multiple, full, masses each weekend. The families that attend are there every weekend. They are active in the parish, their children are active in the parish, they are sociable with one another. There are plenty of service opportunities for adults and children alike.
Currently children are in Montessori school. Would like to still consider this option for the younger three, but will definitely have the older attending catholic/private high school.
Are there any stark differences in the diocese in the area? We are located at the corner of three dioceses and you can differentiate in how each is run, how strong/active/opinionated the Bishop is in what is prioritized for the schools and parishes in those diocese.
Any aspects (negative or positive) that, not being from the area, we may not even be thinking of that I should be considering (specifically related to the churches and communities)?
I will be in the "region" well before my wife and kids move (after school semester is completed for year) so I will have time to visit a number of areas, parishes and try to assess how well it will fit our needs. But I'd like to start with a plan, based on feedback and other information, so I can best prioritize the areas I'd like to spend time.
Try Hillsborough, NJ. There is an active Catholic Church there that was warm and welcome. There is another RC Catholic Church that is technically in Hillsborough but on the border of Manville. That Church also has an active parish.
Try Hillsborough, NJ. There is an active Catholic Church there that was warm and welcome. There is another RC Catholic Church that is technically in Hillsborough but on the border of Manville. That Church also has an active parish.
Best of luck to you and your family.
I'm trying to figure out what parishes you are talking about. There are 2 Catholic Churches in Hillsborough - Mary, Mother of God and St. Joseph's. I love St. Joseph's (I don't know much about MMOG). The pastor is a Jesuit and he has an amazing ability to get people involved and excited about service. He gives the most amazing homilies; I think that's one of the reasons mass is filled. It was always an active parish but even more so now.
There are churches in nearby Manville but they aren't quite as "family" active. I don't think they are quite what you are looking for. The churches on Hillsborough/Manville border are Byzantine and Ukranian. I'm assuming you are looking for Roman Catholic?
The other very active parish in that area is Immaculate Conception in Somerville. They have a Catholic grade school and high school. It's a very family friendly parish. Once you get involved, you definitely get a sense of knowing everyone. If you want a strong church/school focus, I think you would like Immaculate Conception. I've gone on their mother's retreat and it was a wonderful group of women.
I'm not Catholic so I don't have specific recommendations, but I'd think you could find a good Catholic Church a lot closer than Hillsborough. That would be about an hour commute during rush hour. I know the OP is willing to drive a bit, but you should be able to find plenty of options among the dozens of Catholic churches in eastern Middlesex/northern Monmouth counties that would give you a lower stress commute and more time with family.
I mean, this is Jersey. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting two Catholic Churches and a Dunkin Donuts.
I don't know how much you know about NJ or what you've been told, but central NJ has some of the best public school systems you are going to find anywhere. There is no need to waste money by sending your children to private schools. The high school graduation rate in those high schools is 99%. Save your money.
Try Hillsborough, NJ. There is an active Catholic Church there that was warm and welcome. There is another RC Catholic Church that is technically in Hillsborough but on the border of Manville. That Church also has an active parish.
There is also a new Catholic school in Chatham, for high school
Sedes Sapientiae Contact
Other than those, most Catholic parishes and schools are pretty much the same and there are so many you can choose which one suits you best in terms of size
St. Mary's in Middletown is a big parish and seems to have very involved parishioners and a lot of things going on. They're school is Pre K-8. Mater Dei is the high school a lot of the kids there go to. And maybe St. John Vianney in Holmdel? Other families do K-8 and then switch to public for high school. There is also Christian Brothers Academy nearby so there are a lot of options. You'd have a very short commute.
The bigger question is what is your budget for a home or rental. This may dictate your choice in areas.
In Lincroft (this is a section of Middletown), they have St. Leo the Great which is very active with a K-8 school, nearby high schools are Christian Brothers Academy and Red Bank Catholic. My son went to CBA - it is very good academically and has good sports programs; however, if your children are in-between I heard of issues. The public schools in Lincroft are considered good and the reason why I moved here 14 years ago.
I would recommend that you develop a circle of 25 miles from your place of work and narrow it down based on your budget and strength of diocese. I would check to see the schools are run by the diocese (Trenton) or independently. Mater Dei Prep was going to be closed but was saved by fund raising a couple of million.
Good Luck in your hunt.
Last edited by stickman07738; 02-03-2017 at 05:27 AM..
I'm not Catholic so I don't have specific recommendations, but I'd think you could find a good Catholic Church a lot closer than Hillsborough. That would be about an hour commute during rush hour. I know the OP is willing to drive a bit, but you should be able to find plenty of options among the dozens of Catholic churches in eastern Middlesex/northern Monmouth counties that would give you a lower stress commute and more time with family.
I mean, this is Jersey.You can't swing a dead cat without hitting two Catholic Churches and a Dunkin Donuts.
I shouldn't have read that while drinking my Dr. Pepper. I wish I had a good suggestion for the OP, but we've only live in NJ for a year and a half, and while we have an active Catholic church, we're a bit far away. His commute would be over an hour. I will say, though, I wouldn't recommend Plainfield, even if you don't send your kids to public school.
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