St. Jerome marks 50 years as a faith community Church and school are thriving five decades after founding BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer CHRISTINEVARNO St. Jerome parishioner Marilyn Ferraro helped plan a year's worth of 50th anniversary events. The celebration began shortly after the Rev. Harold Cullen became pastor. WEST LONG BRANCH - Just 50 years ago, St. Jerome parish in West Long Branch was established to serve the many Catholic families who had moved to the area. Five decades later, the church and school on Wall Street continue to provide a faith community, education and much more to a thriving parish, the Rev. Harold Cullen said. "It is a family," Cullen, pastor of St. Jerome, said in an interview. "This is a parish with deep tradition and strong faith sharing the journey." St. Jerome began the celebration of its 50th anniversary year in October 2005, just days after Cullen joined the parish. "The day I came, the anniversary jubilee began," he said. "There was a wonderful Mass with a reception. I thought it was just wonderful. There were just so many people who came out." One of those people was parishioner Marilyn Ferraro, who coordinated a year's worth of events to commemorate the anniversary, which concluded this October. "This has always been a parish that has been down-to-earth and very friendly and family-oriented," Ferraro said. "The anniversary was a way to really bring the parish together." St. Jerome Church was erected in October 1956, with the first Mass celebrated in the new church that December. St. Jerome School opened its doors shortly after, in September 1957. In its first year, approximately 50 to 100 families joined the parish and the school educated students from kindergarten through fifth grade, according to Ferraro. Today, the parish consists of more than 1,200 families and the school has expanded to include pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, with an enrollment of more than 260 students. In the past 50 years, the church and school have seen some changes, according to Ferraro. In 1981, a two-story rectory with a meeting room and office was built on the property and the inside of the church received a major facelift, Ferraro said. To commemorate its 50 years, some 20 events were held throughout the year. The three-member anniversary committee, with the help of several parishioners, also has been working to publish a book on the history of the parish's 50 years. The book will be a timeline of events highlighting landmarks at the church, including biographies, school history, church history, and photos taken throughout the years. Work on the book is expected to be completed in the spring. Ferraro and Cullen both agreed that among the anniversary events, the St. Jerome School Alumni Reunion stands out. "We have never had an alumni group," Ferraro said. So Ferraro, with some help, decided to look through old school graduation programs to contact former graduates. "We found names, but no phone numbers or addresses," she said. "But we looked for [contact information] and made hundreds of calls, and people were finding out just by word of mouth." The night of the reunion, more than 200 school alumni showed up for a Mass and reception. Although Cullen has only recently celebrated his first-year anniversary at St. Jerome, he said serving as the pastor has been a very rewarding and satisfying experience for him. "I feel very supported," he said. "There are a lot of dedicated people here who want to contribute to the parish." Cullen said the people of the parish are the ones who make St. Jerome what it has become. "Just this year, we had 43 people volunteer to take care of the grounds here," Cullen said. "It is just amazing." Cullen also said that last December, he and a group of parishioners set out to paint the church. "When you are running a school, you need to have a fairly tight budget," Cullen said. "I asked people if they would be interested in helping, and 46 people came out. "There were elderly, kids, everyone," he said. "And we saw a miracle. The church was painted in one day. "People were calling it the 'miracle of the paint' " Cullen said. "The love the people have for the parish is unbelievable." Cullen said he frequently asks students and parents why they chose St. Jerome School. "I hear it's because of the social and moral atmosphere that exists in the school," he said. "We have a vision and we share a moral code. The teachers and the kids are all in it together."