About St. Isidore the Farmer /Christ the Good Shepherd Parish/ · Vineland, New Jersey
Christ the Good Shepherd Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in Vineland, New Jersey, within the Diocese of Camden, formed on December 7, 2011 by the merger of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish and Sacred Heart Parish. The merged parish serves approximately 2,700 families and worships at two sites: St. Isidore the Farmer Church (1655 Magnolia Road, the parish seat and rectory) and Sacred Heart Church (1010 East Landis Avenue), which remains open as a worship site. The parish's mission centers on lifelong faith formation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Eucharist, welcoming all into a community unified in faith, love, and charity. It is closely associated with Bishop Schad Regional School, the regional Catholic school located on East Landis Avenue.
- Established
- 2011
- Patron
- Saint Isidore the Farmer (primary patron of the parish seat)
- Rector
- Father Junior Flores
- Diocese
- Diocese of Camden
Why belong here
Christ the Good Shepherd offers a small, family-sized Catholic community in Vineland with two worship sites — the historic St. Isidore the Farmer Church on Magnolia Road and Sacred Heart Church on East Landis Avenue — plus daily Mass, weekday confessions, and a full 24-hour Eucharistic Adoration from Thursday morning through Friday morning each week. The parish runs active ministries in healthcare, bereavement, family life, music, lectors/EMs, Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts, the Seven Sisters Apostolate, and a parish Preschool and Religious Education program, and is closely tied to Bishop Schad Regional School. The Sunday 11:00 am Mass at Sacred Heart is live-streamed, so homebound parishioners and family members near and far can stay connected.
Mass times at St. Isidore the Farmer /Christ the Good Shepherd Parish/
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday–Saturday: following the 8:00 am Mass
- Saturday: 3:00 pm at St. Isidore the Farmer Church
- Wednesdays during Lent: 6:00–7:00 pm at St. Isidore the Farmer Church
- By appointment anytime: 856-691-9077
Adoration times
- Begins after the 8:00 am Mass on Thursday at St. Isidore the Farmer Church
- Continues 24 hours, concluding before the 8:00 am Friday Mass
About Christ the Good Shepherd Parish
Christ the Good Shepherd Parish is a Roman Catholic community in Vineland, New Jersey, formed in December 2011 by the merger of St. Isidore the Farmer and Sacred Heart parishes. The parish is part of the Diocese of Camden and now serves roughly 2,700 families across Vineland from two worship sites: St. Isidore the Farmer Church on Magnolia Road (the parish seat and rectory) and Sacred Heart Church on East Landis Avenue. Its mission statement commits the community to lifelong faith formation centered in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Eucharist, welcoming all into a family unified in faith, love, and charity, and sharing their gifts of time, talent, and treasure in service to others.
- Parish seat: St. Isidore the Farmer Church, 1655 Magnolia Road, Vineland, NJ 08361
- Worship site: Sacred Heart Church, 1010 East Landis Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360
- Diocese of Camden
- Merger effective December 7, 2011
Parish History
The Diocese of Camden merged St. Isidore the Farmer Parish and Sacred Heart Parish on December 7, 2011 to create Christ the Good Shepherd Parish. St. Isidore the Farmer Church on Magnolia Road became the parish seat and houses the rectory, while Sacred Heart Church on East Landis Avenue continues in use as a worship site. According to the Catholic Star Herald, Msgr. John Burton — a Pallottine priest — shepherded St. Isidore from 2002 to 2011, then Sacred Heart from 2009 to 2011, and led the newly merged Christ the Good Shepherd Parish from 2011 until his retirement in 2021, giving him nearly twenty years of pastoral service in Vineland. A fuller written history of St. Isidore the Farmer Church is being prepared by the parish and will be published on the parish website.
- 2011: Merger effective Dec. 7 — St. Isidore + Sacred Heart form Christ the Good Shepherd
- 2011–2021: Msgr. John Burton serves as first pastor of merged parish
- 2021: Msgr. Burton retires; Father Junior Flores becomes pastor
- St. Isidore remains the parish seat; Sacred Heart retained as worship site
Devotions, Novenas & Small Groups
The parish gathers regularly for Marian devotion and Scripture reflection. The rosary is prayed daily after the 8:00 am Mass, the Miraculous Medal Novena is held every Wednesday after Mass, and the parish also hosts separate men's and women's Gospel reflection groups during the week.
- Daily Rosary — after the 8:00 am Mass
- Miraculous Medal Novena — every Wednesday after the 8:00 am Mass
- CTGS Marian Movement — Wednesdays, 6:00 pm at St. Isidore Church
- Men's Gospel Reflection Group — Thursdays 6:30–7:30 pm, St. Isidore Rectory meeting room
- Women's Gospel Reflection Group
- Stations of the Cross — Fridays in Lent, 7:00 pm, St. Isidore the Farmer Church (with Fr. John)
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by Father Junior Flores, Pastor, with assistance from a part-time Parochial Vicar/Hospital Chaplain, Father John Wasilewski, and (per the March 2025 parish bulletin) Father Arockia Britto Prabhu Arul Ananthu, Parochial Vicar. A team of lay staff and coordinators handle administration, bookkeeping, maintenance, Religious Education, and the Preschool, while Sr. Olga Cano serves as Principal of Bishop Schad Regional School.
- Father Junior Flores — Pastor
- Father John Wasilewski — Part-time Parochial Vicar/Hospital Chaplain
- Father Arockia Britto Prabhu Arul Ananthu — Parochial Vicar (March 2025 bulletin)
- Mrs. Lillian Simpkins — Executive Assistant to the Pastor
- Ms. Kathy Beckett / Christina Martinez — Administrative Assistants
- Mr. Ricardo Camacho — Bookkeeping
- Mr. William Rivera & Mr. Eugenio Cardona — Maintenance
- Ms. Margie Perez — Religious Education Coordinator (early listing)
- Mrs. Cathy DiAntonio — CTGS Religious Education Coordinator (recent bulletin)
- Mrs. Mary Watson — CTGS Preschool Director
- Sr. Olga Cano — Principal, Bishop Schad Regional School
- Mr. Paul Spinelli — Parish Liaison
Parish Ministries
Christ the Good Shepherd offers a wide range of ministries that allow parishioners to serve the parish, the broader community, and one another — from liturgical roles like lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, to outreach via the Parish Healthcare Ministry and Bereavement Committee, to faith-formation programs for children and families.
- Parish Healthcare Ministry — Sami Abate, 609-247-1444
- Pastoral Council — Chair: Sami Abate; VP: Paula Thibodeau-Hirsch
- Music Ministry — Coordinator: AJ Santos
- Altar Linens — coordinators at both St. Isidore and Sacred Heart
- Arts and Environment
- Bereavement Committee — Paula Thibodeau-Hirsch, 856-696-8653
- Boy Scouts / Cub Scouts
- Counters — Coordinator: Paul Spinelli
- Family Life — Brenda and Adam Sheftall
- Finance Council — Chair: Joe Repice
- Fundraising — Sam Tedesco and Christina Martinez
- Lectors / Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — Jami Fehrenbach
- Safe Environment — Joanne Koehler
- Seven Sisters Apostolate
- Social Media & Bulletin — Lillian Simpkins
Religious Education & Preschool
The parish runs its own Christ the Good Shepherd Parish Religious Education Program for parish children preparing for the sacraments, as well as a parish Preschool. Together with Bishop Schad Regional School, these programs form the backbone of faith formation and Catholic education for parish families.
- CTGS Parish Religious Education — Coordinator: Mrs. Cathy DiAntonio
- Religious Education contact: [email protected], 856-500-6566
- CTGS Preschool — Director: Mrs. Mary Watson
- Bishop Schad Regional School — Principal: Sr. Olga Cano; 922 E. Landis Avenue, Vineland; 856-691-4490; bsrschool.org
Bishop Schad Regional School
Bishop Schad Regional School is the regional Catholic elementary school closely affiliated with Christ the Good Shepherd Parish, located at 922 East Landis Avenue in Vineland — the same street as the parish's Sacred Heart worship site. The pastor and parish maintain a strong partnership with the school, which draws students from across the parish and surrounding Catholic communities.
- Address: 922 East Landis Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360
- Phone: 856-691-4490
- Website: bsrschool.org
- Principal: Sr. Olga Cano
- Business Manager: Mr. Ricardo Camacho
- Administrative Assistant: Ms. Iveth De La Cruz
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. John Burton2011–2021
First pastor of the merged parish; previously pastor of St. Isidore the Farmer (2002–2011) and Sacred Heart (2009–2011). Retired from active ministry in 2021.
- Father Junior Flores2021–present
Current pastor; leads the parish alongside parochial vicars Fr. John Wasilewski and (per March 2025 bulletin) Fr. Arockia Britto Prabhu Arul Ananthu.