Father Daniel M.Rocco, pastor of St. Stephen Parish, Pennsauken, stands with Rick and Bernice Taylor.
Photo by James A. McBride
PENNSAUKEN — As a former mayor of this township and now deputy mayor, Rick Taylor knows what it means to work for a cause and share it with others.
Rick has been practicing stewardship at St. Stephen Parish for some 15 years and his wife, Bernice, has been practiing for six years. Rick is a lifelong resident of Pennsauken.
“I had been away from the church for several years,” Rick said. “In fact, I’d been away for 31 years and just came back in 1997. You see, something was missing in my life — it was the church.”
Rick and his wife have been married for 43 years. Bernice was raised as a Baptist and went to a church in Bryn Mawr, Pa.
“When I returned to the church,” the former mayor said, “Bernice went with me. But, as I said, something was missing. So my wife and I went church hunting from here to Williamstown. How we became involved with St. Stephen’s was really very simple. St. Stephen’s was recommended to us by friends. So we started going to Mass there and I became active.”
Bernice got involved at St. Stephen’s about six years ago. The younger daughter of Rick’s sister was making her confirmation and Bernice, he said, “found everything about the ceremonies in the church restful and comforting.”
“When you’re raised a Catholic as I was,” said Rick, “you accept everything on faith without question. But when you’re an adult and become a Catholic you question things which strengthens your faith, and you see things so clearly.”
While a member of the Township Committee and as mayor, he continued as an educator in the Pennsauken School District. Now retired, he was a high school assistant principal, then elementary school principal, and then retired as director of personnel for the Pennsauken schools. Because of his education background, he was asked to sit on the St. Stephen School Board.
Once back to the church he went head-long into stewardship. For the past 14 years he has been a lector. “A nun had told me years ago I should consider becoming a lector because of my speaking voice,” Rick said with a chuckle.
Bernice noted that right after she became a Catholic in 2006 her stewardship began. She became a Eucharistic minister after Father Daniel Rocco, pastor of St. Stephen, asked her to become one. “I went to classes to learn what has to be done and later I became co-chair of Prayer Line, which is a prayer chain with the numbers printed in the bulletin. People call the numbers and ask for help. This prayer chain does help.”
Rick said he and his wife started a development program in the parish to encourage others to give to the church.
The Taylors started a soup ministry during Lent. “We were told St. Stephen’s had a soup ministry at one time,” said Rick. “We ran the ministry on Fridays before the Stations of the Cross. Bernice typed a list of volunteers who were expected to come on those Fridays.”
The Taylors have two children. Holly is a social worker in the Pennsauken School District and Scott is a screenwriter in Hollywood. They also have three grandchildren.
Father Rocco said he enjoys working with Rick and Bernice.
“They are extremely active and devoted to the church and what they do. Rick is also part of the justice ministry. He also consults with me on everything he does and in any kind of function that we run. They both give their all and their hearts to whatever they do at St. Stephen’s.”
For more information on stewardship contact Deacon Russell Davis, Office of Stewardship, at 856-583-6102.
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