Overview

The Rossmoor Roman Catholic Society was formed in 1967 for the purpose of promoting fellowship between Roman Catholic residents of the community.

"By this will all peoples know you for my disciples by the Love you bear for one another."

A plaque on the wall of the Parlor Vestibule commemorating the founding of the Society.

Mass
A Mass is held at 7PM on the 2nd Thursday of every month at the Meeting House sponsored by the Rossmoor Roman Catholic Society.

The Mass brings together Rossmoor Residents to worship, to deepen their faith, to form community and know each other better.

The Society has over 400 members in 2005 providing opportunities to reach out to each other and all members of the Rossmoor Community.

The priests who conduct the Services come from many different parishes of the Diocese of Metuchen, and occasionally from outside the area. Because of this, their sermons — besides giving spiritual guidance — also provide a wide and informative insight into what is being done within the church outside our immediate area.

Masses are followed by a time of Fellowship and Refreshments in the Narthex of the Meeting House.

1. Board Meetings of the Roman Catholic Society of Rossmoor are held on the Tuesday before the monthly Mass, in the Meeting House. (Any changes in this schedule are posted in the Rossmoor News.). Any member of the Society is welcome to attend.
   
2. Assistance in the Mass. Help is always appreciated in Flower Donations to beautify the Mass and to honor special people in our lives. Serving as Lectors, Eucharistic ministers, Acolytes, Ushers, Gift Bearers and preparing/serving the post Mass Refreshments are several different opportunities to contribute. The Diocese of Metuchen also sponsors WorkShops for Deacons and Lectors throughout the year.
   
3. Interfaith Council of Rossmoor is supported by members of the Roman Catholic Society in the various services it supplies to Rossmoor, such as Thanksgiving Day Dinners, Interfaith Services and other important public observances (note the page of the Interfaith Council on this website to explore its purpose in the Community).
   
4. Speakers on current church-related topics are engaged periodically, which meetings are open to all Rossmoor Residents.
   
5. Day of Recollection in which participants will deepen their faith experience by sharing with others their life's stories, and be guided through prayer to a closer relationship with God.
   
6. Kiwanis Kitchen Pantry to support the needy in Monroe Township

Many other opportunities for service exist within the local parishes such as

1. The Altar Rosary Society for women of the church to provide Communion Breakfasts, various Programs of interest, food collections and other services for both the parish and the surrounding community.
2. Children's Liturgy of the Word where Society Members are part of a team which, once a month, volunteers to meet with the children (K1-3) to facilitate a discussion of the Gospel during the Mass on Sunday.
3. The Holy Name Society, the Men's organization, which sponsors programs throughout the year and holds annual spiritual retreats.
4. Scriptural Studies for adults are available on a varying schedule.
5. Unwed Mother Program Collects items to support the mother during her pregnancy and infant items as well.

Opportunities for Outreach beyond our community

The following projects (and others) are supported by contributions or by actual participation of the Roman Catholic Society of Rossmoor members.

1. Operation Rice Bowl is an outreach of the Diocese of Metuchen sponsored by its Parishes. Gifts support Catholic Relief Services' development programs world-wide, and fund hunger and poverty alleviation efforts in the United States as well, with 25% of the money collected remaining locally in the United States to fund projects in local communities.
   
2. The Martin House is a "Family of Programs" based in Trenton (and supported by the Diocese of Trenton) which offers hope and opportunity to the low-income people it serves by securing housing, education, clothing, and household appliances. It includes such programs as:
   • Better Community Housing constructs and rehabilitates housing units for sale to low-income families. All of the no-interest mortgage payments collected from new homeowners are reinvested back into continued housing development in the community.
   • Learning Center of Martin House offers preschool, high school equivalency training, after-school tutoring, literacy classes, and youth programs among others.
   • The Doorway to Hope is a transitional housing program for homeless families. It assists families in planning a course of action to help themselves, and moving toward self-sufficiency.
   • Martin House Clothing Store is run by local residents for local residents, and offers warm clothing and household items at affordable prices. All proceeds benefit Martin House's youth programs.
   • Martin House Community for Justice Foundation raises funds for the Martin House "family of programs." It seeks to provide opportunities for the economically and socially disadvantaged and to raise the consciousness of the business community about the impact of business decisions on low-income people.
     
3. Equal Exchange Coffee Project. This is a Catholic Relief Services outreach to the small coffee farmers of South America, Africa and Asia. These small-scale rural coffee farmers are isolated from markets, subject to unstable prices, and often heavily in debt as they struggle simply to live. Because of overproduction of low-grade coffee a crisis has developed in the world market resulting in widespread unemployment, abandonment of farms and hunger. The Equal Exchange Coffee Project attempts to insure these farmers receive a just price for their coffee, have access to credit, belong to democratically run cooperatives and establish relationships of trust with importers.

Nativity of our Lord Roman Catholic Church, on Applegarth Rd in Monroe Twp, established 7/7/1992, is one of several parishes within the Diocese of Metuchen with which members of the Catholic Society of Rossmoor are associated.

To visit the Church Website, click HERE.

St. James the Less Catholic Church on Lincoln Avenue in nearby Jamesburg, NJ was built in 1878 on land donated by Mrs. Margaret Buckelew, wife of a prominent businessman of Jamesburg. It too provides a spiritual home for Catholic residents of Rossmoor.

Back to Rossmoor HomePage