MARMORA – When Noel McCreesh first came to this Cape May County town in 1969, there wasn’t much to write home about to his family in Ireland.
There wasn’t an ACME or a ShopRite. There wasn’t even a Catholic Church that the 26-year-old could attend.
So he visited neighboring towns to practice his faith until Msgr. James Zegers arrived in 1975 as the first pastor of the new Church of the Resurrection.
McCreesh was there for the first Eucharistic celebration, which took place in an Air Force base chapel. He was there for the Masses in the rectory, and helped fundraise for the church currently on Tuckahoe Road that was established in 1977. He was there every Sunday with his late wife, Megan, and their children, Ryan and Neil.
And he was there on the afternoon of Oct. 18, when Bishop Joseph Williams, past and present clergy and parishioners celebrated Church of the Resurrection’s 50th anniversary with a Mass and dinner gala.
“This place has been home,” he said of the church that is now part of Saint Maximilian Kolbe Parish. “It’s been nice to see the community blossom here. I never pictured that there would be a beautiful day like this.”
During the Saturday Vigil Mass, Bishop Williams recognized those who, like McCreesh, have fought “the battle of faith to keep God alive in our hearts [and] front and center in our communities, our parishes and families.”
As well, he noted the many concelebrating pastors and priests who’ve served the community over the past half-century, thanking “these chosen men” who have gathered at the church’s Eucharistic table and “raised their hands in prayer” like Moses in his battle against the Amalekites, as told in the liturgy’s reading of Exodus.
Over the next 50 years, Bishop prayed, may local families cultivate a culture of faith and perseverance in prayer, to create more priest vocations so that “the Lord’s people will get the better of the battle in Marmora.”
Father Piotr Szamocki, current parish pastor, expressed gratitude for “the priests, religious and community who have made this such a wonderful place to worship Jesus.”
“We remember the past and what Jesus has done for us; we treasure the present for what he’s doing now in our lives, and we embrace the future ahead of us with faith and confidence in God,” he continued.
After Mass, the celebration moved to Immaculata Hall across the parking lot for a dinner gala that included the unveiling of a painting titled, “Immaculata Madonna Maris.” The painting was created by artist Victor Grasso of Cape May, and blessed by Bishop Williams.
“I wanted to create something not only transcendent, but embracing, because she has to be the Mother for everyone,” Grasso said of his 6-foot-by-4-foot piece, oil on Belgium linen.
During the dinner, longtime faithful such as McCreesh, and former pastors Father Robert Gregorio, Father Mark Cavagnaro and Msgr. Peter Joyce, shared warm memories of their time at the parish.
For Msgr. Joyce, it was twice a homecoming. He grew up in the parish, and returned as Church of the Resurrection’s pastor, from 2011-2023.
“I have so many good memories of childhood here,” said Msgr. Joyce, now pastor at Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in Sicklerville. “This place formed me in the faith growing up, and also, while I was assigned here, it formed me in the priesthood.”
For Tricia Ciliberto, 54, a parishioner since 1980, the evening festivities brought up grateful memories of her mother, Ticia Singer, the first director of religious education at the Church.
“I’m so thankful for her for always stressing the faith,” she said, also expressing gratitude to Msgr. Zegers, who heard her first Confession, and a parish community “that is not afraid to grasp and share Jesus’ teachings.”
“We all support one another in town and love one another,” she said.
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