About Our Lady of Good Counsel under repair (St. Damien Parish) · Ocean City, New Jersey
Our Lady of Good Counsel Church is one of three worship sites of St. Damien Parish, a Catholic parish in Ocean City, New Jersey, in the Diocese of Camden. The church sits on 40th Street along Asbury Avenue in the south end of Ocean City and is currently under repair. St. Damien Parish itself was formed on March 23, 2011, by the consolidation of St. Augustine, St. Frances Cabrini, and Our Lady of Good Counsel, and today serves roughly 2,300 families. Our Lady of Good Counsel is the largest of the three worship sites, with seating for about 1,350 people.
- Patron
- Our Lady of Good Counsel
- Rector
- Fr. Thomas A. Newton
- Diocese
- Diocese of Camden
Why belong here
St. Damien Parish welcomes everyone and offers a rich Catholic life across three island worship sites — St. Augustine (the primary church), St. Frances Cabrini, and Our Lady of Good Counsel (under repair). Worshippers can pray at weekday daily Mass at St. Augustine, spend quiet time in Eucharistic Adoration Monday through Friday, and join more than thirty active ministries including the Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul, RCIA, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Hispanic Ministry, English Classes, Scripture Study, and a Cancer Care Ministry — so there is a real place to serve, to learn, and to belong.
Mass times at Our Lady of Good Counsel under repair (St. Damien Parish)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday, 3:00 PM (St. Augustine)
Adoration times
- Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (St. Augustine, 13th St.)
Our Lady of Good Counsel Church
Our Lady of Good Counsel Church is one of three Catholic worship sites that make up St. Damien Parish in Ocean City, NJ. It sits on 40th Street along Asbury Avenue, on the southern end of the island, and currently operates with reduced capacity while the building is under repair. Travelers from the mainland should plan around 10 minutes from the 9th Street bridge in low-traffic periods and up to 25 minutes during peak summer traffic.
- Address: 3948 Central Ave (intersection of 40th St. & Asbury Ave.), Ocean City, NJ 08226
- Worship site of St. Damien Parish, Diocese of Camden
- Largest of the three parish churches, seating about 1,350
- Currently under repair
History of St. Damien Parish
St. Damien Parish was formally established on March 23, 2011, by a decree of Bishop Joseph Galante of the Diocese of Camden. The new parish consolidated the three historic Catholic parishes that had served Ocean City: St. Augustine (the island's Mother Parish), St. Frances Cabrini (established as a parish on July 26, 1966, from an earlier chapel, Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs, built in 1953), and Our Lady of Good Counsel. It was the 31st such consolidation decree in a diocesan-wide reconfiguration that began two years earlier, aimed at strengthening parishes in light of population shifts, declining Mass attendance, and fewer available priests.
- Decree issued February 18, 2011; effective March 23, 2011
- Rev. Michael P. Rush named first pastor (six-year term)
- St. Augustine designated as the primary worship site
- St. Frances Cabrini and Our Lady of Good Counsel retained as worship sites keeping their original names
- Approximately 2,300 families in the combined parish
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Damien Parish is led by its pastor, Fr. Thomas A. Newton, and part-time parochial vicar Fr. Vigilius Amanze, M.SS.CC. The staff team includes the Director of Liturgy and Worship, two religious sisters serving in faith formation and outreach, the Director of Music, a Director of Communications & IT, a Wedding & Baptism Coordinator, a Pastoral Associate for Spanish Ministry, an Office Manager, a Director of Maintenance, and a Bookkeeper.
- Pastor: Fr. Thomas A. Newton (M.Div., Christ the King Seminary; M.P.A., Rutgers)
- Part-Time Parochial Vicar: Fr. Vigilius Amanze, M.SS.CC
- Director of Liturgy and Worship: Cathy Johnson
- Pastoral Associate for Lifelong Faith Formation: Sister Joelle Thren, SCC (serving since 1998)
- Assistant for Justice & Community Outreach: Sister Jeanne Belli, SSJ
- Pastoral Associate for Worship and Music: Patrick Gardner
- Director of Music, Bands, and Choirs: Diego Ramirez
- Pastoral Associate for Spanish Ministry: Maria Isabel Giron
- Director of Communications & IT: Xander Wright
- Office Manager: Susan Campbell (over 20 years with the parish)
Lifelong Faith Formation & RCIA
The parish's Lifelong Faith Formation (LFF) program offers ongoing adult learning opportunities, hospitality gatherings, and topical presentations (recent examples include a St. Francis of Assisi and Franciscan Spirituality presentation). The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) runs from September through April each year and is open to non-Catholics and the unbaptized who wish to explore the Catholic faith. Elementary faith formation for children is also part of the parish's offerings.
- RCIA program — September through April
- Adult Faith Formation sessions
- Elementary Faith Formation for children
- Lifelong Faith Formation team led by Sr. Joelle Thren, SCC and Joanne Kelly
Outreach & Charity
St. Damien Parish operates an unusually broad network of outreach ministries, many of them ecumenical with the wider Ocean City community. Sister Jeanne Belli, SSJ, and Joanne Kelly serve as the parish's Justice & Community Outreach team.
- Ecumenical Food Cupboard
- Ecumenical Clothes Closet
- St. Vincent de Paul Society
- Sandwiches for Catholic Charities
- Food for Life Ministry
- Cancer Care Ministry
- Thrift Shop
- English Classes
- Joy of the Gospel Ministry
- Pro-Life Ministry
- Knights of Columbus and Ladies Auxiliary
Worship, Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music and liturgical ministry is led by the Director of Music, Bands, and Choirs and the Director of Liturgy and Worship, with support from a Pastoral Associate for Worship and Music. Volunteer liturgical ministers serve across all three worship sites.
- Altar Server Ministry
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Ministry of Lectors
- Ministry for Sacristans
- Usher Ministry
- Welcoming Ministry
- Art and Environment Committee
- Bereavement and Funeral Liturgy Ministry
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
Parishioners can arrange Baptisms and Weddings through the parish office, where Tina Boylan serves as Wedding & Baptism Coordinator. Funeral Liturgy, Bereavement, and ongoing Pastoral Care are supported by dedicated ministry teams, and Mass Cards can be requested through the Parish Office.
- Baptism coordination
- Wedding Rehearsal and Wedding Day Ministry
- Funeral Liturgy Ministry
- RCIA (adults seeking initiation)
- Religious Education (children)
- Mass Card Requests via Parish Office
Getting to the Parish
The Parish Center (the main office) is at 1337 Asbury Avenue, Ocean City, NJ 08226, and is open Monday–Thursday 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM and Friday 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (closed 12:00–1:00 PM for lunch). Each of the three worship sites has its own location: Our Lady of Good Counsel at 3948 Central Ave., St. Augustine at 1310 Ocean Ave., and St. Frances Cabrini at 114 Atlantic Ave.
- Parish Center: 1337 Asbury Ave., Ocean City, NJ 08226 — (609) 399-0648
- Our Lady of Good Counsel: 3948 Central Ave., Ocean City, NJ 08226
- St. Augustine: 1310 Ocean Ave., Ocean City, NJ 08226
- St. Frances Cabrini: 114 Atlantic Ave., Ocean City, NJ 08226
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael P. Rush2011–2017 (approx.)
First pastor of St. Damien Parish, named by Bishop Galante to a six-year term when the three Ocean City parishes merged on March 23, 2011.
- Fr. Thomas A. NewtonThrough ~2026
Previously pastor of Catholic Community of Christ Our Light (Cherry Hill) for 11 years; holds an M.Div. from Christ the King Seminary (East Aurora, NY) and an M.P.A. from Rutgers.
- Rev. Msgr. Peter M. JoyceEffective July 1, 2026
Announced by Bishop Joseph A. Williams as the next pastor of St. Damien, Ocean City, for a six-year term, transferring from St. Charles Borromeo, Sicklerville.