St. Andrew the apostle Parish
400 Mt. Prospect Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07012
Tel: 973-779-6873
Fax: 973-779-0573
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Mass Schedule:
Sundays: 5pm (Sat), 7:30am, 9am, 11:15am
Weekdays: Mon-Sat 8am
Holy Days: As announced
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Rectory Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm
(Closed Fridays in Summer)
Novena: Mondays, 7pm
Confessions: Saturdays, 3pm-4pm
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Our weekly parish bulletin may be accessed here.
Parish Logo created by Martha McGowan, 2017.
Mission Statement
The parish community of St. Andrew the Apostle is committed to:
Supporting one another in living out the call of the Gospel to proclaim God's love to all.
Teaching by providing lifelong Christian formation, which translates into the sound practice of our Catholic morals, values & beliefs.
Evangelizing by sharing the Gospel message entrusted to the Apostles & his Church by Jesus Christ.
Encouraging spiritual growth by nurturing our relationship with Christ & one another through the celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist.
Our Story
The history of St. Andrew's dates back to 1939 when it first became a parish of the Paterson Diocese.
Today it stands a vibrant faith-filled Catholic community of appox. 1000 families, providing endless opportunities for people of all ages to participate in its parish life.
St. Andrew’s will celebrate its 80th anniversary with a special celebration on the Feast of St. Andrew — November 30th, 2019. Stay tuned for more info!
Our Pastor
Rev. Ray Orama is St. Andrew’s new pastor! Please join us in welcoming him on the weekend of July 7th! More info to come!
Parish Staff
Rev. Ray Orama, Pastor
973-779-6873 ext. 11
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Rev. Msgr. Patrick J. Scott, In Residence
973-779-6873 ext. 22
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Deacon Richard J. Goglia, Director of Religious Ed.
973-779-1848 / StAndrewRelEd@Optonline.net
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Michelle Petrasek, Pastoral Associate
973-779-6873 ext. 14
SaintAndrewsMusicMinistry@Gmail.com
SaintAndrewsYouthGroup@Gmail.com
SaintAndrewsSocialMedia@Gmail.com
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Barbara Quinlan, Parish Office Manager
973-779-6873 ext. 10 / LadyBarb@Optonline.net
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Barbara Hayes, Parish Project Manager
973-779-6873 ext. 20 / BarbaraHSAC@Optonline.net
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Carol Dziuba, Organist
CDziuba@AOL.com
For general parish information, submit an inquiry here.
Good News & parish events
For upcoming events, you may also see this month’s calendar
or our Facebook Events tab.
Event Flyers available for Download:
HIGHLIGHTED Recent Events
Goodbye Fr. Rick!
Goodbye, Fr. Rick & thanks for the memories! We love you & will miss you! We wish Fr. Rick good luck & many blessings at his new pastorship, St. Therese in Succasunna, as of June 13th, 2019. Fr. Jeider Barazza will fill in as Temporary Administrator of St. Andrew’s for three weeks until our new Pastor Fr. Ray Orama joins us on the weekend of July 7th! Please make Fr. Jeider feel welcome when you get the opportunity to meet him!
Easter Egg Hunts 2019
Thank you to all who made this year’s egg hunts so much fun! Thank you to our Youth Group for planning & running our egg hunts, to all parishioners who donated eggs, to all parents who signed their children up for a day of fun, to Fr. Rick, Fr. Pat, & the Easter Bunny for making appearances, & to all who prayed for good weather! Happy Easter, everyone! For more photos, please see our Facebook album!
ST. PATRICK’S DAY DINNER DANCE 2019
We are so happy that the return of our St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance was a smashing success! Thanks to all who worked hard to put this event together, especially our Paris Project Manager Mrs. Barbara Hayes. Thanks to all who bought tickets & had a good time! And many thank to Pet Meyer for capturing these photos!
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT 2018
Many thanks to all who participated in this lovely Christmas event — our adult choir, teen choir, children's choir, handbell choir, the Alay Awit Filipino American Chorale, junior composer Ian Kearney, junior pianist Yvonne Allen, organist Carol Dziuba & Pastoral Associate / Choir Director Michelle Petrasek! Everyone did an excellent job lifting our spirits in preparation for Christmas! For a full set of photos thanks to parish volunteer Martha McGowan, please see our Facebook album.
Filipino Culture 101 Night
If ever St. Andrew’s has had a successful fundraiser it was our first ever Filipino Culture Night! Thanks to the hard work of Emma & Luis Ordiales, & the wonderful team of volunteers they assembled 170 of our parishioners enjoyed a night of Filipino performances, line dancing, & of course — food! Thank you to Emma for spearheading this project & raising over $1700 for our parish! All food & performances were donated, & we could not be more grateful! To see tons of photos from this event, check out our Facebook album!
CERAMIC CHRISTMAS TREE PARTY
What a fun experience we had painting ceramic Christmas trees & wreaths with Arts & Creations Pottery Studio! It’s not as easy as it looks, let us tell you! 24 creative folks gathered in the church hall to design their trees, wreaths, & bases — which will look very different when they’ve been baked in the oven & all lights have been attached! Stay tuned to see what they look like once returned from the studio! Photos will be added to our Facebook album ASAP!
PAINT & SIP FELLOWSHIP NIGHT, FALL 2018
Our second parish paint night was super fun & challenging! Many thanks to Van-Go Paint Parties of Montclair for returning to share paint a new painting with us! It’s all because of our first paint & sip last Spring that we have begun offering so many crafty programs, & we owe Van-Go lots of gratitude for unleashing our creative streaks! More photos can be found in our Facebook album.
BLESSING OF ANIMALS 2018
St. Francis of Assisi was a Catholic friar who gave up a life of wealth to live a life of poverty. He established the Franciscan Order of Friars & is the patron saint of animals. Each October, St. Andrew's celebrates the feast of St. Francis with an annual blessing of animals in front of church. This year, Fr. Rick blessed dozens of our furry friends! For photos from this year's event, please see our official photo album.
CARNIVAL 2018
St. Andrew's 2018 Carnival was a weekend of games, rides, & family fun! Though the rain tried to bring us down, we all still had a great time with the days we were able to open!
What a joy to see our parish community work together this September to put on such a major event. Many thanks to John & Jen Fantry for running the show & helping us keep this community tradition alive!
SUMMER POTLUCK PICNIC 2018
Salad, eggplant parm, chocolate cake, oh my! The heat & endless rain doesn't stop St. Andrew's! We celebrated our first *hopefully annual* summer potluck picnic in mid-August. Everyone who attended cooked, & everyone had fun! Many thanks to parishioner Richard Guerra for coordinating this event! All the food was delicious, & who doesn't love a easy evening out with friends!
PLANT & SIP FELLOWSHIP NIGHT 2018
In April we painted; in June we planted! Our plant & sip night was a super fun activity for all who participated! Many thanks to Fern & Fossil from Newark for hosting a fun educational workshop for us!
MAY CROWNING 2018
St. Andrew's School hosted their annual May Crowning in which our young people crown the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of May. 2nd graders who recently received the Sacrament of First Holy Communion paired with 8th graders for this special ceremony following a school mass held in the Church on Ascension Thursday.
This was a particularly meaningful ceremony for both the St. Andrew's Parish & School community as it was the school's last May Crowning. We thank everyone who has worked hard to make this a beautiful tradition to be shared by all who attend every year. We hope to keep this tradition alive via our CCD students involved in the Parish Religious Education Program in May 2019.
PAINT & SIP FELLOWSHIP NIGHT, SPRING 2018
Our first ever parish paint night was hugely successful in both fundraising & fun-raising! Many thanks to Van-Go Paint Parties of Montclair for providing our parishioners & their friends with the opportunity to try something new & express their creativity! More photos can be found in our Facebook album. We hope to repeat this masterpiece fundraiser again in the Fall so stay tuned for future dates!
EASTER EGG HUNT 2018
The children of St. Andrew's Parish the Clifton community are invited every year to join us for a fun free egg hunt run by St. Andrew's Youth Group. Our teenagers work very hard to provide the best egg hunt around with crafts, games, & a bake sale along with traditional egg hunting! with 94 children ages 10 & under in attendance this year's event was a hit!
SANTA BREAKFAST 2017
We are very fortunate to report that Santa took time out of his busy schedule preparing for the Christmas holiday to visit our parish for a delicious breakfast! Children small and tall met with Santa after mass, took photos, and received presents. A magical time was had by all.
BAMBINELLI SUNDAY 2017
It is customary for the Pope to bless Infant Baby Jesus figures that children & their families bring to St. Peter's Square in Rome on the 3rd Sunday of Advent, which has become known as Bambinelli Sunday. Parishioners of St. Andrew's were invited to bring their own figures of Baby Jesus from their home nativity sets to be blessed at all masses on the weekend of December 16th & 17th.
Press
11/1/17 - The Power of One's Music, Clifton Merchant Feature on Michelle Petrasek (p. 24-28)
8/18/16 - Clifton Parish Gives Young People Opportunity to Make 'Joyful Noise'
7/28/16 - Bishop Makes Pastoral Visit to St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Clifton
7/7/16 - Clifton Knights Host Holy Hour, Mass for Religious Liberty
5/19/16 - Bishop Serratelli Ordains 11 Men to the Diaconate
5/5/16 - Bishop to Ordain 11 Men to Diaconate
3/31/16 - St. Andrew's Gala Feature, Clifton Merchant Worship & Sharing (p. 94)
8/20/15 - St. Andrew the Apostle Parish Welcomes Bishop Serratelli on his pastoral visit
ministries
If you would like to participate in a parish ministry or group, we have something for everyone at St. Andrew's! A full listing with appropriate contact information may be found below. If you are interested in creating a new committee or have general questions, call the Rectory at 973-779-6873.
Altar servers are always greatly needed. Please encourage your children to consider this important ministry.
Altar Servers:
Rectory Office, 973-779-6873
Boy Scouts:
Scout Master Jon Wellins
Eucharistic Ministers:
Rectory Office, 973-779-6873
Greeting Card Ministry
Helen Power, 973-472-6942
Hospitality Committee:
Mary Tuites, 973-778-3566
Knights of Columbus:
Grand Knight Ken Molnar, 201-247-6207
Columbiettes:
President Joanne Graziano, 201-280-3295
Lectors:
Rectory Office, 973-779-6873
Music Ministry:
Pastoral Associate Michelle Petrasek
973-779-6873 ext. 14
SaintAndrewsMusicMinistry@Gmail.com
Religious Ed Teachers:
Dir. of Religious Education Deacon Rich
973-779-1848
StAndrewRelEd@Optonline.net
Thirty-Niners, Seniors Group:
Barbara Dudek, 973-665-4131
Ushers:
Rectory Office, 973-779-6873
Youth Group:
Pastoral Associate Michelle Petrasek
973-779-6873 etx. 14
SaintAndrewsYouthGroup@Gmail.com
Sacraments
For information regarding the sacraments of First Communion, First Reconciliation, & Confirmation, please see our Religious Education page.
BAPTISMS
Baptisms are made by appointment & are typically scheduled only on the 3rd Sunday of the month, following 11:15am mass.
If you are interested in scheduling a Baptism with the parish, please fill out the following form & we will contact you. Please understand simply filling out a form does not guarantee your Baptism request.
WEDDINGS
Couples planning to be married are asked to make an appointment with a priest or deacon to begin preparations at least one year before the wedding.
All couples who are to be married in the Catholic church are expected to attend a Pre-Cana session.
If you are interested in scheduling a Wedding with the parish, please fill out the following form & we will contact you. Please understand simply filling out a form does not guarantee your Wedding request.
Religious Education
Photo by Portrait Innovations, Clifton
CCD
Religious education is offered to children in grades K-8 via CCD classes on Sunday mornings after 9am mass. We encourage families to attend this mass as it includes a Children's Liturgy of the Word. Children receive their First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion in the 2nd grade.
2019-2020 9th Grade Registration forms & paperwork will be available in the coming Summer months.
CONFIRMATION
A 2-year confirmation program is offered for teens in the first 2 years of high school, preparing them for Confirmation in the Spring of their 10th grade year. Classes are held on Sunday evenings during the school year.
2019-2020 9th Grade Registration forms & paperwork for returning 10th graders will be available in the coming Summer months.
RCIA
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults is a process established for individuals who may choose to receive Baptism, Eucharist, & Confirmation as an adult convert to the Catholic faith. Candidates in the RCIA program work directly with our Director of Religious Education, Deacon Rich, as they are gradually introduced to Catholic teachings, beliefs, & practices to enter the Faith fully committed to their conversion. 2019-2020 RCIA forms will be available in the coming Summer months.
FAITH FORMATION & CONTINUING EDUCATION
Throughout the year, various programs are offered for adults & teens in the parish to enrich their lives as practicing Catholics & to increase their working knowledge of their Faith. Presentations are sometimes given on Sunday afternoons by Rev. Philip Tangorra regarding one's Catholic faith. Individuals are always also invited to work with a priest or deacon in order to become an alter server, lector, Eucharistic Minister, Children's Liturgy Volunteer, or Religious Education instructor. St. Andrew's also encourages members of its community to keep up to date with all programs offered by St. Paul Inside the Walls, the Diocese of Paterson's Center for Evangelization.
For more information, call Deacon Rich at 973-779-1848 / StAndrewRelEd@optonline.net.
Music
St. Andrew's Music Ministry provides a fun, educational, & spiritual opportunity for musicians small & tall to lift their voices to the Lord. Combining traditional & contemporary styles of sacred music, our song choices reflect the diversity of our parish community.
Fall 2019 Choir Sign-Up Flyer: For Children’s, Teen, & Handbell Choirs
Fall 2019 Calendar: Coming Soon!
Videos from Spring Into Song 2019, thanks to parish volunteer Martha McGowan:
Videos from Carols By Candlelight 2018, thanks to parish volunteer Martha McGowan:
For more information, call Michelle at 973-779-6873 ext. 14 / SaintAndrewsMusicMinistry@Gmail.com.
YOUTH GROUP
Logo created by parishioner Veronica Pirog, 2017.
Youth Group open to 9th-12th graders meets every first (school year) Saturday of the month after 5pm mass with Youth Minister Michelle to gather, worship, story share, volunteer, & have fun! In July & August, monthly meetings are replaced with weekly Sunday morning & Tuesday afternoon service projects. New teens are always welcome to join this enthusiastic group of Catholics who share the Good News together in a safe space encouraging laughter, love, & learning!
Our Amazon Wish List can be found here.
For more information, call Michelle at 973-779-6873 ext. 14 / SaintAndrewsYouthGroup@Gmail.com.
St. Andrews Youth Group logo designed by parishioner Veronica Pirog.
St. Andrew's School
St. Andrew's School sadly closed in June 2018.
Anyone seeking school records may call 973-779-6873 ext. 20 to speak with Parish Project Manager & former School Office Manager Barbara Hayes.
We have devoted a permanent display to honor St. Andrew's School in the Front Gathering Space of Church. Please stop by before or after any Mass to take a walk down memory lane!
Many thanks to our parish Youth Group & maintenance staff for devoting time to this project!
LINKS
St. Andrew's parish library is full of information & located in the front gathering space of the church.
Joining the parish
How can I join the parish?
If you are interested in joining the parish, please fill out the following form & we will contact you to confirm receipt of your registration, give you new parishioner info, & welcome you to the parish.*
(*Please keep in mind if you are registering solely in order to obtain a sacramental sponsorship certificate, it is church policy that you be an active registered parishioner in good standing for at least 6 months before such a request. Thank you!)
Contact Us
Direct contact information for staff & volunteers in various parish departments & ministries can be found on our About & Ministries Pages.
If you have a general question about the parish & do not know whom to contact, please fill out the contact form below & our Pastoral Associate will forward your request appropriately.
Thank you!
Please complete the form below
Carnival 2018
Post your photos! #StAndrewsCarnival2018
It's a wrap! Tremendous thanks to all who made this year's carnival a smashing success! To John & Jen Fantry, our parish community is eternally grateful! Many thanks to all volunteers tall & small, the food services, bands, & local businesses who supported this event, & all families who came out to share in one or several enjoyable evenings! Here's to fun-raising fundraising, family memories, community collaboration, & St. Andrew's!
2018 Carnival Special Events
(printable pdf version of above flyer)
Parishioner TRADE DIRECTORY
Looking for someone?
We at the rectory often receive phone calls asking if we know someone offhand within the parish who can help with a particular need. Rather than hiring a stranger, consider hiring a fellow parishioner!
Who doesn't like a little free advertising?
Contact us today if you would like your business information in this directory - FOR FREE!
Accounting - Licensed CPA
Mr. Joseph C. Swiatek, CPA (Licensed CPA for Tax Prep Services & Consultation)
JCS Accounting Solutions, LLC
40 Godwin Place, Clifton NJ 07013
973-493-3165 (Cell) / 973-916-1504 (Home) / 973-860-2395 (Fax)
JCSwiatek@AOL.com / JosephCSwiatek@CPA.com
Authorized IRS E-File Provider
Member of AICPA & NJCPA
Baking
Mrs. Carol Dziuba, Cookie Baker & Decorator
973-872-9280 / cdziuba@aol.com
Grandma Carol's Cookie Jar: Facebook Page
St. Andrew's organist, 2013-pres.
Cleaning
Mr. John O'Connor
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
973-885-3185
Custom Framing
(Also: Handyman work, Closet work, Lawn care, Restoration of oil paintings, & Statue Repair!)
Richard Guerra
Home Office, Clifton NJ
201-952-1496
Music Lessons - Piano & Vocal Coaching
Michelle Petrasek, MP Music LLC
MPMusicLLC@Gmail.com / 973-568-7708
Website / Facebook Page / Instagram
St. Andrew's Pastoral Associate (Music Director, Youth Minister, Website/Social Media)
Painting
Mr. Michael Poulis
Interior / Exterior Painting
973-405-4111 (Cell) / 973-779-3813 (Home)
Real Estate
Mr. Tom Stidl, Sales Associate (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Land)
ACV Real Estate
931 Clifton Ave, Clifton NJ 07013
1-800-541-6034 (Toll Free) / 973-365-2122 (Work) / 973-580-3088 (Cell) / 973-471-7872 (Home)
TOJS2014@yahoo.com / 973-365-1877 (Fax)
"St. Andrew's Usher! 46+ years in Clifton & counting!"